Recovery Road
by Lanceeselhombre
Summary: Oz, a 15 year old boy who has just been saved from a world of abuse, is taken in by his childhood friend and servant, Gilbert Nightray. Rated M for sexual/violent themes/topics. WARNING: Mentions of child abuse, neglect, rape, and other similar topics in multiple chapters. Slight Ozlice near the end. Finished and waiting for bonus chapter.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Hey guys, I'm back! I am so sorry for being off the site for so long, I've been so busy! This idea came to me and I hope you guys like it. Updates will be fairly slow, I will finish as fast as I can. Enjoy!

By the way, this story takes place when Oz is 15, Gilbert is 21, and Oz never went to the abyss.

.o.O.o. (8 years in the past)

Oz laid in his bed staring blindly at his baby blue ceiling, which had taken on a navy tint from the darkness seeping into the room through the window. Shadows of tree branches swaying in the wind danced across the walls. An occasional thump resounded throughout the small room as a tree banged on the window, demanding entry. Several toys and stuffed animals littered the floor, forever abandoned.

The blond blinked slowly, forcing his eyes to stay open as he battled the growing exhaustion pulling him under. He jumped, hearing a sudden loud bang from the first floor of the house; the front door opening and closing. His head slowly turned to look at his innocent white door, it's paint chipping away from many years of abuse. Angry stomps made their way to the door, making the floor tremble beneath them.

Oz blinked again, and the door swung open creating a thunderous boom upon impact with the wall. He did not jump at the sound, as he had expected it after the first. There was sure to be a dent. A tall, buff man stomped across the room to Oz's bed, looming over the small bundle of sheets menacingly. The boy was harshly slapped across the cheek, sending him sprawling onto the cold hardwood floor opposite the man. He held a hand to the red flesh where he'd been hit, feeling a wet warmth drip down his face and onto his fingers.

"Stand up!" The man boomed in a deep, menacing voice. Oz immediately obeyed, getting to his feet with difficulty, disorientated from exhaustion and the slap. He stood staring emotionless at the man, displaying neither fear nor shock from the blow. Blood dripped off his chin and fell to the floor, beginning to form a crimson puddle on the floor beneath his feet.

"Come here." Oz walked swiftly across the floor, positioning himself in front of the man obediently, earning himself another hard cuff; this time to the ear. The blond collapsed to a heap on the floor, his ear ringing so loudly that he could not hear the man when he ordered him to get up again.

The man proceeded to kick the boy in the chest, stomach and back, mercilessly spewing insults with every blow. Each kick caused a muffled shriek or cry upon impact with the boy. "You're a filthy excuse for a son!" Zai roared as he kicked the boy in the neck, causing him to gasp, attempting to breathe through his partially crushed windpipe.

"Filthy rat!"

"You should have never been born!"

"You don't deserve to exist!"

It was obvious the man hated him. It was obvious he felt that the child deserved the beating as well. Every one of his blows was confident and strong, the mark of a man who had no doubt that what he was doing was right.

But it wasn't right.

Oz laid as motionless as possible, trying not to fan the flames of his father's anger. Tears pricked at his eyes as he silently agreed with every word he said to him, knowing that they were true. He wasn't wanted. He was a vain existence. It was as simple as that. He believed those words with every fiber of his being.

But that didn't make the abuse easier to deal with. Each blow that hit him, every bruise and cut that was left on him brought on a stinging, relentless pain. Tears flowed fast and silent down his face, leaving not even a track in their wake. It hurt, it hurt so much, but could never compare to the pain in his heart put there by his father's words.

Why didn't his father want him? If he hated him so much, why didn't he just kill him or abandon him? Why force himself to be around someone he despised so much?

It hurt, it hurt so much to feel hated so fiercely. He never felt wanted or loved or anything other than despised. The pain of it, the agony of the hatred his father had for him was crushing his lungs more than any kick or punch could.

Oz lost track of time, lost in the chaos of his father's fit of rage. Zai eventually stopped attacking him but not before he had reduced the boy to a bloody mess. The hardwood floor had now become a dark crimson where Oz lay, a mess that would no doubt take hours to clean. Zai began to beat Oz again, his anger renewed by the pooling blood pouring out of his son.

Oz was silent this time, no longer able to produce sound. His vocal cords had been strained to the point of lameness, refusing to endure the abuse they were being put through. The boy was now completely motionless, paralyzed in pain. He could do nothing to try and stop his attacker; any attempt to stop him was in vain regardless.

This fit of rage didn't last quite as long as the first, but by its end Oz was barely clinging to consciousness. His father threw him onto his bed before climbing in after him, flipping the boy on his back and pressing him into the sheets. Oz knew what was going to happen next, dreading knowing he wouldn't be able to sit comfortably for the next few days.

Finally, as his father began to undress him, he allowed his body to succumb to the crushing exhaustion he was enduring, almost instantaneously losing consciousness.

Alright, that's it for the first chapter, I know it's short. Sorry. This is just the beginning of a heartwarming story even though it doesn't seem like it. Gilbert appears in the next chapter, and I promise it will be a lot longer.

I hope you guys like this, I've been taking advanced writing classes so hopefully my writing has improved somewhat. If you guys have any suggestions for me I'm always open to ideas, flames and praise will be accepted. Again, I will try to get the next chapter out as fast as I can. See you guys soon!


	2. Power of Change

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Welcome to the second chapter! Everything will be explained in this chapter, I know nothing really was explained in the first chapter; it was more of a prologue to the story than a first chapter. The story really begins now, and will make more sense with the information provided in the prologue.

Enjoy!

.o.O.o. (Present time)

"Gilbert, this is Oz." A middle aged woman said as she stood in the doorway to a simple, white room. In her hand she held the hand of a young teenage boy, distraught and lifeless. Gilbert looked the 15 year old over, making sure to keep his expression neutral as the woman had suggested. Oz was an average height for his age, but ghostly thin. His blond hair was dirty and messy, partially framing his boyish face. His emerald eyes were dull and void of emotion, appearing a shade darker than their real color. The boy's clothes consisted of plaid green knee length shorts and a long sleeve white button up covered by a brown buttoned vest.

Upon closer inspection one could see that the boy sported several bruises on his exposed skin. His collarbone was a deep shade of purple, about the same age as another set of bruises on his left forearm. There was a small piece of gauze taped to his right cheek, covering a scrape. Anyone who looked at him would be able to tell that he had been abused.

Beneath the obvious signs of physical abuse Gilbert saw that Oz was broken. Inside those dull eyes was a sea of fear and anxiety. The boy stared apprehensively at Gilbert as if the man had beaten him. The fear in his eyes made Gilbert feel depressed and worried, unable to imagine why he would be so afraid of him.

He felt even worse about how sad he looked. There was an unconscious grimace glued to his face, one that was….well just sad. There was really no other way to describe the expression on his face at that moment. He looked like the young, abandoned child he was, wishing for nothing more than a hug.

The child before Gilbert looked so different from the peppy, fun loving boy he had known 9 years ago. Most of his features remained recognizable, but his posture and demeanor were the polar opposite of his former self. The man's heart sank a bit in his chest, fearing that the boy's personality could not be regained after the hardship he had endured.

According to the middle aged woman, the police had found out a few days ago that Oz had been being abused and neglected by his father, Zai Vessalius. It had been going on since the boy and his father disappeared 9 years ago. Unfortunately, most of Oz's family had died in a horrible accident the year he had gone missing, but the police somehow managed to track down Gilbert. Since the boy no longer had a caregiver, they wanted Gilbert to take care of him.

Gilbert was obviously thrilled that his childhood master had been found, and even more so that he would be allowed to care for him. However, there was also a fear that Oz wouldn't recognize or remember him, which would be much more painful than if Oz had never been found. The pain of rejection, of being forgotten would be too much to bear. It would weigh down on his heart more than the hurt of losing his friend all those years ago.

Gilbert smiled warmingly at Oz, trying to make him feel welcomed. Instead the boy frowned and looked up anxiously at the woman holding his hand. She gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder before gently urging him to go to Gilbert. He resisted her touch fearfully, reluctantly giving in and creeping towards the raven haired man, obviously afraid. When he was four steps away he refused to get any closer, watching Gilbert's every move with a wary eye.

"Say hi." The woman urged, still standing in the doorway.

Oz picked a random spot on the floor to stare at, unable to make himself look up at Gilbert. "Hi." He said sheepishly.

His voice was high pitched for his age, adding to his childish nature. It was just low enough to not be squeaky but still high enough to sound soft and innocent. Gilbert couldn't help but smile at the sound of the boy's voice; he had longed to hear him speak for so long and he finally had. His voice was still as cute as he had remembered it to be.

"Hello." Gilbert replied with a smile. "Do you remember me?" He wondered, his eyes shining with hope.

Oz glanced up, racking his brain for anything he remembered about the raven haired man. His gaze was heavy, weighted down by distrust and fear. It lightened slightly, a sudden light of recognition sparking in the boy's eyes. He managed a fragile, small smile and nodded. "Gil, right?" The boy asked, repeating his affectionate childhood nickname for his servant.

Gilbert's smile dampened a bit at the boy's own; he was truly happy to see him smile, he really was. Despite that, his smile still looked sad, ruining the action. Nevertheless Gil beamed, thrilled that his master remembered him. "Yes, that's me."

The blond walked up to his servant and hugged him around the torso. His embrace was noticeably cautious despite how relaxed it was, as if unsure if the action was appropriate. Gilbert wrapped his arms around the boy, returning the hug gently. They released the embrace, locking eyes as they pulled away. Oz's timid eyes turned away, intimidated by the confident onyx ones looking back at them.

The woman in the doorway said, "Gilbert will be taking care of you from now on."

Oz's eyes lightened, nearing their original color. "Really?" He asked with a childish happiness. His expression mimicked the emotion, an attempted shallow representation of his joy. Still, a bit of sadness clung to his expression and weighed it down.

Gilbert knelt down in front of the boy, his face turning serious. "Yes, I'll be your guardian from now on. You will never have to worry about...your father" he paused, saying the words with a hint of disgust, "again. You will be safe with me." Gil smiled as he said the last sentence, trying to prove his point to the boy.

Oz grinned, registering the fact that he was going to live with his servant more than the fact that his father was out of his life. "Okay." He said, his cautious demeanor unchanged.

The middle aged woman walked over to the two, suggesting, "Oz, why don't you go get your things?" The boy obediently wandered out of the room in search of the small amount of items they had salvaged from his bedroom, leaving the adults alone. He turned a corner, vanishing into the building until he was out of sight.

Gilbert stood and shook the woman's hand. "Thank you for finding him." He said sincerely. Words could not express how genuinely happy he was that they had found the boy.

"Thank you for taking him in. He needs someone he knows and trusts right now." The woman said.

"It's no problem. I'm happy to have him back." Gilbert beamed.

The woman reached into her pocket, pulling out a small card. She handed it to Gilbert, saying, "Here's my number. I'll be coming to your house periodically to check up on Oz. Call me if you have any questions or if something happens."

Gilbert looked down at the pristine white card, reading the information on it. "Alright then...Deborah." He said the woman's name having reading it off the card.

.o.O.o.

Gilbert pulled his black Mustang into the driveway of his modest house, Oz sitting contently in the back behind him. The house was a well kept two story white brick building with several windows on both stories, the interior of which was the same color as the outside. A white porch stretched 7 feet from the house with an awning to protect it from the sun and had a matching set of steps on the right hand side. The lawn was neatly trimmed with a few bushes lining the porch in the front from the far left to the steps, their tops just nearly level with the porch.

The raven haired man parked his car before stepping out and opening Oz's door for him. He helped the teen climb out with his small bag of things and shut both doors before leading him to the front door. He opened the door and shut it again once they were both inside the hallway.

The hallway was nothing more than a long gray mat covering the hardwood floor. It opened up to the rest of the spacious open concept first floor, complete with a living, dining and kitchen area. The living room was off to the left, shielded from the front door by the staircase leading to the second floor, consisting of a simple black leather couch flanked by reclining leather chairs on either side. Hanging on the wall in front of the seats was an HD flatscreen with cords leading to a Wii and Xbox positioned below it on a centerpiece. The dining room was centered on the back wall, its modest marble table having 4 grey cushioned chairs surrounding it. The kitchen sat to the far right, lining its allotted space with silver cabinets, drawers and appliances. The red backslash perfectly matched the obsidian countertop and fridge. On either side of the kitchen was a roomy closet and bathroom, on its left and right respectively.

Gilbert hung his car keys on a hook directly next to the front door, and his hat and jacket on a coat rack next to it. He started towards the staircase, Oz following closely behind.

The stairway was straight and short, leading to a second story slightly smaller than the first. There was a fairly spacious but empty space that connected the stairs to four rooms. The order of the rooms starting closest to the stairs was the bathroom and then 3 bedrooms; one that served as Gilbert's, and two guest rooms, the second of which Gilbert had turned into Oz's room.

Both boys walked into Oz's new bedroom, a simple boxish space with white walls and a black paneled floor consisting of a bed, desk and bookcase stacked high with reading material. Oz set his things down on the blue comforter covering his bed and sat down next to it, looking up at Gilbert with a blank smile. Gil knew that he offered it to be polite and truly did not feel any emotions that would make him want to smile. It was saddening to see.

Gilbert asked, "Do you like your room? I haven't gotten a chance to paint it or anything, but I figured we could do that later." He explained, worried that the mood of the room didn't quite suit the boy.

Oz shook his head. "It's fine. I like it." He said, consoling the man's worries. He was afraid that any other response than the one he had given would upset him; that was something he really didn't want to do.

"That's good." Gilbert said, having nothing else to say. The two remained in a semi-awkward silence, neither knowing what to say. Oz sat on his bed, absentmindedly playing with the fabric of his clothes and Gil stood near the door, watching him observantly.

The man learned quickly that he knew next to nothing about the Oz in front of him; those nine years they had been apart had changed him more than he could comprehend. The Oz he knew was happy, lively and confident; the Oz in front of him now was timid, skittish and anxious. The way he played with his clothes highlighted how insecure he was. The way he purposefully avoided eye contact revealed his submissiveness. Even the way listened to Gilbert's every move, perking at any sound he made showed how tense he was. Each of the increasingly apparent wounds the boy had were things the man had no idea how to deal with.

That being said, he wanted to learn everything he could about this Oz and as quickly as possible. He wanted to know how to be with him, how to treat him, how talk to him. He wanted to know what he liked, what he didn't, the things he did to pass the time. He wanted to know his friend again like he used to.

But he was going a little too fast. He didn't want to rush into kindling a relationship with Oz; he sensed that the blonde wasn't entirely ready for that quite yet. There was something about the way he sat that said he refused to let any kind of connection grow. It seemed that he was uncomfortable about being with his friend but Gilbert felt it was more than that, some deep seated fear controlling the way he thought.

Changing the topic, the raven haired man asked, "Are you hungry? Do you want me to make you something?" The boy was so thin he would be shocked if he turned down the offer, yet for a second the presence of indecision lingered in his gaze.

Before the boy could respond his stomach growled angrily, answering his servant's questions for him. The both laughed, Gilbert's light and Oz's nervous. Oz's laugh was more of an anxious giggle, a reflexive vocalization indicating something worried him. Gilbert tried to ignore it and said, "Come on," leading the boy downstairs to the kitchen.

Gilbert had Oz sit at the dining table as he made a quick meal for the child; macaroni and cheese with chopped up hot dogs. He placed the bowl containing the food in front of Oz and walked back towards the kitchen to clean the dishes he had used.

Oz looked down at the bowl; he'd never seen someone put macaroni and cheese and hotdogs together. Regardless he began to eat the meal Gil prepared, finding that it tasted great despite it's appearance.

When Gilbert had finished cleaning he sat down across from the boy, watching him intently while he ate. Oz's posture showed he knew he was being watched and seemed to shrink away from the man, afraid for a reason he couldn't comprehend.

Gil couldn't help but frown a bit at this. He could see the marks of the hardship the boy had been through in everything he did. The way he instinctively sat as if to defend himself, the way he seemed to reject his friend's presence, the way he did everything cautiously as if at any moment something would lash out at him. It was truly depressing to watch him.

He could see that before Oz had even finished half of the food he'd given him he was full. He continued to eat though, making Gilbert think that he was afraid he'd be yelled at if he didn't finish. This made him worry that the boy would make himself sick but he couldn't bring himself to either take the bowl away or tell him to stop, sensing that it would do more harm than good.

Oz eventually finished eating and simply sat quietly afterwards. He kept the fork in his mouth, sucking on it in the way someone would squeeze a stress ball because they were stressed. Gilbert didn't think he had a reason to be stressed though. He curiously watched him suck on the metal, noticing that it seemed to be a compulsive habit of his. If something else caught his attention the motions of his mouth didn't stop, though they did become less aggressive.

After a while Gil decided to take the bowl and clean it. When he had touched the bowl Oz automatically put the fork in it. "Go take a shower. I have to clean a bit down here." Gilbert instructed, motioning with his head to the staircase. He knew the child needed a shower; his hair could easily attest to that.

"Okay." Oz said as he obediently ascended the stairs. Gilbert heard the shower start and the closing of the bathroom door, indicating the boy had done as he was told.

Gil completely cleaned the kitchen and vacuumed the first floor in less time than it took Oz to shower. He still had time left afterwards, hearing the shower going upstairs. He laid down on the couch and watched an episode of game of thrones as he waited for the child to descend the stairs. He was only on the second season, but he liked the series.

By the time the episode he was watching was over Oz walked down the stairs in a pair of flannel pajamas covered with black rabbits. His freshly shampooed hair was now three shades lighter than it had been before, no longer a dirty blond but a shining gold. The scrape on his cheek that had been previously covered by the gauze was now left uncovered for him to see and looked painful to see the least.

Gilbert sat up and scooted over to make enough room for the boy to sit next to him. Oz hesitated for a moment, unsure if it was okay for him to sit next to his servant. A short but vivid memory flashed through his mind of him sitting on the couch at his old home.

He had been watching tv, relaxing on the couch when his father had just come home, slamming the door shut with a loud bang. The man stomped over to his six year old son, who cringed away instinctively. Zai slapped the boy hard, sending him rolling onto the floor with a sharp yelp of pain. "How dare you watch cartoons on my TV without my permission and then cringe away because you know you've done wrong!" He kicked the boy away from the couch, growling menacingly. "Go to your room before I give you the punishment you deserve!" He barked, furious.

"Something wrong?" Gilbert asked the blond, watching him as he stood staring at the couch seat through blind eyes. The boy turned his gaze to Gil, realizing he wasn't in his father's house, but in his friend's. He blinked, his eyes regaining their lost sight.

Oz slowly shook his head as if to rid it of the horrific memory. "It's nothing." He promised, his words seeming to be more for himself and not his guardian. He sat down on the couch, mindful to keep several inches between himself and his servant.

"Okay...what do you want to watch?" The raven haired man wondered, flipping through the selections on his Netflix account. He came to a cartoon and stopped flipping, smiling nostalgically. "I used to watch this all the time when I was younger."

"I used to watch tom and jerry too." Oz said, his voice reserved and cautious. It was barely there, as if it was uncertain whether it was a welcome presence in the silence. The sound was fleeting, prepared to leave the second there was any indication it wasn't wanted.

"Really? How did you find it?" Gil wondered, attempting to get the boy to engage in a conversation. He quickly learned that Oz wasn't one to talk anymore but he wanted to attempt to talk with him. "I was introduced by a friend a few years after...you know." He finished his sentence carefully, not wanting to bring up the topic of his kidnapping on his first day as the boy's guardian.

Oz took a few seconds to answer, carefully formulating a proper response. "Father was working on one of the first days after he kidnapped me, and I found it playing on a channel while he was gone." He said, the memory flashing through his mind again. His voice didn't falter at the mention of the fate that had befallen him years earlier, seemingly unfazed by the incident.

Gilbert looked down at the controller in his hand, almost sorry he brought up the topic. "Have you seen all of the episodes?" He wondered, attempting to guide the conversation in a different direction. Something was telling him the subject upset the boy, but he was unsure how or why. Either way he knew it was smart to move on from it as soon as possible.

Oz shook his head. "Only three." Television was not something he found particularly entertaining. It offered nothing of true worth; it was just a bunch of fabricated tales meant to distract you from the rest of the world. Maybe it would have been something to help him be less bored over the years, but after the first few times he was reprimanded for using one he had no desire to try it out. To him it wasn't worth it.

"Wanna watch some of the newer ones?" The man offered, noticing a slight change in the boy's tone. He knew nothing of what caused it and was attempting to end the conversation, afraid he would mess it up. Despite his non threatening situation, the man felt as if he was walking on eggshells. One wrong step and he would cause irreversible damage.

"Sure." Oz replied, uninterested. He agreed nonetheless, not ready to face whatever lied at the end of the alternative response. The response he was trained to anticipate was not favorable, to say the least. There was nothing implying that was what would actually happen, but he'd rather play it safe than put himself in that situation.

The episode Gil put on was the newest one, about Tom and Jerry fighting on the moon. It was amusing to watch the physically impossible pranks the two pulled on each other. However, Oz wasn't paying attention to the show, being more anxious than anything else. Logic told him he was safe, but the presence of something linked so closely with his past put him on edge.

Gilbert reached an arm around Oz's shoulders and gently pulled him closer to himself, feeling the boy tense immediately at his touch. At first the response worried him because he thought that he might've accidentally touched a bruise underneath the boy's clothes he didn't know was there. He quickly dismissed the thought when he saw that Oz's face was not pained but fearful. "You're okay Oz. Your father isn't here." He reassured, attempting to calm the child's fear. It was in vain though, as it did nothing to console the boy.

"I know." Oz said in a monotone voice, small and low. His tone seemed to question the merit of his words, not believing them for a second. Unsure of the man's intentions, he sat stiffly but allowed himself to be partially held. The embrace was a kind of new experience; he'd never been cuddled before. (Not including the times Gil and Oz slept together during their childhood.) Gil's larger body was oddly comforting but at the same time unnerving; he found the position to be uncomfortably constricting, limiting his movement.

Gil frowned, feeling put off by his distrust. He knew and understood it wasn't his fault, and definitely not Oz's; it was simply his conditioning from years of abuse. Nonetheless, he couldn't help but feel upset because of the way the boy was acting. He wanted to feel hurt, to let himself feel rejected, but refused to let the thoughts invade his mind. With time Oz would learn it wasn't a bad thing to be held, that it wasn't something to fear.

How much time was something he couldn't say. Oz had an emotional wall built up around him, one that he didn't even bother to try and disguise. He wouldn't know how to or see the point of it anyway; he was as unsocialized as he could get. For almost as long as the boy could probably remember he'd only known one person, one dilemma, one house. It would be awhile before he could even feel comfortable being in Gil's house for the simple reason that it was a different place.

Oz fidgeted in the man's arms, trying to get more comfortable. He eventually settled for laying on Gil's side, his back to his servant with the man's arm resting on his stomach. With his arms now free Oz felt less anxious and began watching a new episode; this one involving Marvin the martian.

Even though he was more relaxed as he was, he still did not focus much on the TV. His mind was in a calm, blank state, quietly observing what was happening around him. It wasn't so much that he was worried as that he was watching, learning what exactly it meant to be in his situation. How he was supposed to sit, how he was supposed to move when Gilbert did, where specifically he was allowed touch and where was off limits.

To anyone else, his thought process was too calculative, too exaggerated for such a simple thing. It made perfect sense to him, though, because if he remembered what was correct it was easier to not get in trouble. Normally, small errors were easily fixed and made next to no fuss, but in his experience, any mistake was catastrophic.

The two watched several more episodes, amusedly shaking their heads at some of Tom's stupid decisions well into the night. Only did they stop when Oz began yawning like a cat, hardly able to keep his eyes open.

Gilbert turned off the TV and the downstairs lights before lifting Oz off the couch bridal style. The tired teenager did not protest as he was carried up the stairs and laid in his bed, being too tired to do so. Gil pulled the covers over the blond and leaned down to kiss him on the forehead.

"Goodnight."

.o.O.o.

Finally done! I'm so sorry the update took so long, I hope this chapter was long enough. School starts back up Monday, so the next update might take even longer, but I will not abandon this series.

If I can't update because of time issues I will update the last chapter I did about where I am in the process of the next chapter. Love you guys and thank you for the support! Ideas, flames and praise are greatly accepted.


	3. Storm

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING

Hey guys, back again with another chapter! I'm sorry, I need to stop putting in extra stuff.

So this idea came to me last night. I've been researching PTSD and anxiety disorders, and realized I made thing go a bit too smoothly at first. So, I added in this chapter. I have to go through and fix some of the other chapters to go with this a bit more, but I know I'll work it out. Before this was posted I made the necessary changes for the timeline. While there are no warnings for this chapter, it does involve pretty vivid descriptions of terror.

I was blushing soooooo much near the end trying to write this! Like I stared at the screen for a minute contemplating the best possible way to write what I was trying to say because I'm an Ozbert fan for life but this fic is NOT about that. Soooo I was struggling to create the desired effect with my words. I mean, I don't normally write using words like 'vagina' or 'penis' so this was awkward as fuckk for me.

Anyways, enjoy!

.o.O.o.

The next day went fairly smoothly compared to the first. Oz and Gil stayed inside all day, watching TV together on the couch. Oz had stopped constantly cowering away from Gilbert but he still preferred to keep his distance. Gilbert was fine with this, hoping that by not pushing the boy's boundaries he would be able to allow him adjust to his new surroundings.

It was a slow day, that was, until the moon came up.

Unbeknownst to the boys, it was supposed to storm that night. Soon after the sun set it began to rain and soon after that the thunder and lightning. Gil wasn't bothered by the storm at all and continued to watch the TV. Oz, however, was a little more than unappreciative of it. He wasn't afraid of the thunder itself; more rather he was afraid of how loud it was. He had an aversion to loud noises, which meant he did not take well to weather changes.

Each time thunder boomed outside Oz flinched away from it. Each time he saw the jagged, bright flash of light cut through the clouds he cringed, waiting dreadfully for the accompanying crash of thunder. Occasional squeaks or gasps fell from his mouth with each thunderous sound of the storm, drawn out by his growing anxiety.

None of these behaviors went unnoticed by Gilbert, who immediately put two and two together. He tried to offer the boy a bit of comfort or distract him from the storm, quickly finding that this was a seemingly impossible task. Gilbert had not know Oz long enough to know what would hold his attention. He had not known him long enough to know what comforted him and what did not.

Because he didn't know when the storm would end, Gil offered for Oz to sleep in his room with him for the night. He would feel guilty and worried to leave the child in his own room while the thunder continued to sound outside. Oz hesitantly accepted, choosing the discomfort of sleeping with his guardian over the fear of suffering through the storm alone.

The two laid down side by side on Gil's bed with the lights on; Oz had sheepishly requested that they not be turned off. Gil was quick to accept the request, noticing how little of a difference it made in the child's nervousness. He felt sadness tugging at his heart because of the worry the boy was plagued with. It was depressing to see his anxiety, yet being completely unable to help him.

Oz continued to flinch away from the sound of the storm, strings of whimpers and squeaks slowly escaping his mouth. He began to tremble lightly, his body humming with adrenaline. Gilbert never took his eyes off of the boy and easily took notice of his growing anxiety. The man gently reached out and pulled the boy in for a loose embrace, wanting to cuddle him.

After several minutes Oz reluctantly allowed himself to be cradled to Gil's chest, too tired to interject. It was uncomfortable to say the least; his arms were trapped in between his chest and Gil's body, his movement was limited because Gil's arms were wrapped around him, and he felt too warm.

Yet, there was a strange comfort to the position. He could faintly hear Gil's strong, steady heartbeat and the deep calmness of his breathing. Having the man's arms gently wrapped around him gave him a sense of protection. Even the uncomfortable warmth of the embrace wanted him to relax.

But he couldn't. Every time thunder sounded Oz jumped. He would frequently look over his shoulder at the window, fearfully waiting for lightning that would signal the next boom. Gilbert did his best to comfort him: holding him close, talking to him, blocking his ears right before the thunder to muffle it. Nothing worked, however.

Even hours after they laid down and the storm had stopped Oz fought to keep his eyes open, afraid to sleep. He no longer shook in fear or obsessively watched the window. He his heart no longer raced and his breathing had slowed. However, his body remained rigid and taut with worry.

Gilbert frowned, confused as to why the boy refused to sleep. The storm had dissipated over several hours ago. Had that not been the cause of the boy's fear, or had he missed something else? He thought long and hard about why Oz wouldn't sleep, unable to think of an answer.

Oz was worried about what Gil would do after he was asleep. His conscious mind knew he would probably sleep as well. His unconscious mind, however, replayed endless memories of past tortures that would have happened in the past. He had been hit, raped, strangled, smothered, tied up, molested, almost drowned, burned; the list went on. He told himself Gil would not do half of those things. Still, he could not relax.

Gil did his best to remain conscious as well, curious to see if the exhaustion would eventually override the boy's fear and pull him under. For awhile, it appeared that Oz would never fall asleep. He laid next to his guardian calmly enough, his eyes closing for a few seconds every once in awhile. He began repeatedly falling into a very light sleep, tapping his foot or gently shaking his head to rouse himself once he realized he was starting to go under.

Gil frowned at the behavior, truly amazed at his determination to stay conscious. Was it really that frghtening to sleep next to someone else? He could not imagine why it would be but it was apparent that Oz was upset because of the frown on his face. His expression was tense with fear and carried an ever present sense of sadness. It seemed like Oz was always sad; the emotion never managed to fade from his expression.

Gil held Oz as close as he could without causing him to pull away. He noticed that the boy eventually began to cling to him contrary to what he had expected. The seemingly sudden change in preference surprised him but at the same time it made sense.

While Gil had no experience raising kids, he knew that when they got tired they tended to cling to their mother like glue. Gil was obviously not a girl but the same principle applied. Oz was a lot younger mentally than he was physically; he showed the brightness of someone around the age of thirteen but his emotional age was probably only around eight. That being said, when he was triggered by a fearful situation or too tired to think properly the younger side of him took center stage.

He knew that because for the past day Oz had constantly been in some state of fear. He honestly felt like he was dealing with an eight year old. The boy's personality seemed so young for his age, it confused him. How did he treat him: like a 15 year old or like an 8 year old? Did he really care or notice a difference?

Gil looked down at Oz and watched his face intently. He was absolutely adorable. The way the boy clung to him was endearing and made him want to never let him go. It made Oz look so young and helpless, like someone who needed to be protected. That ever present grimace of sadness seemed to begin to lose its hold, the boy's expression lightening slightly.

The boys clinginess would have made the man smile if it weren't for the fact that it was a result of his nervousness. It was only after Oz started to cling that he seemed to let himself sleep, his eyes finally closing and his breath evening out. His mouth fell open ever so slightly and his expression became completely relaxed.

Gil smiled sleepily, happy that Oz had finally given into his exhaustion. Careful to not wake him up the man leaned over to see what time it was; one in the morning. He sighed and laid back down, ready to get some sleep himself. He gently kissed Oz on the forehead and cuddled him close.

"What am I gonna do with you?" He whispered to himself as he fell asleep.

.o.O.o.

Oz abruptly woke up later in the early morning, jolting for a reason he was unaware of. The first thing he noticed was that there was no thunder or rain, the second that he was still in Gil's arms. While he was still unnerved by the contact he found it more comforting than before and it urged him to fall back asleep.

Oz rubbed his eyes sleepily, trying to figure out what had woken him up. He stretched his cramped legs and sighed, instantly regretting the action. His stomach suddenly ached in a throbbing and almost painful desperation. Realizing that the desperation was what had woken up, Oz groaned and pressed his thighs together, trying not to panic.

He was fine, needing to pee wasn't going to kill him. He should be happy, he'd woken up before he wet the bed. If he woke Gil up and told him he needed to go he'd let go of him so he could.

Oh who the hell was he kidding, there was plenty of reason to panic. For starters, he began to leak. Not like a slow dribble, more like a faucet being turned on blast. He gasped in surprise and immediately grabbed himself and squeezed as hard as he could, desperately trying to stop himself. He managed to do so after a few seconds but not before his pants and hands were soaked.

Fuck.

He whimpered and held himself tighter. Even if he managed to let go of himself long enough to stand up he wasn't going to make it. He prayed Gil would wake up so he could either get up and go away or help him get to the bathroom but at the same time wanted him to stay asleep, terrified of what his reaction would be.

Maybe he'd yell at him; maybe he'd hit him. Maybe he'd treat him like a baby and force him to wear diapers to bed; that'd happened to him before. There was no end to the horrible possibilities that ran through his mind. Having never been in that situation before at Gilbert's he had no reason to assume anything but the worst. Terror filled tears brimmed in his eyes and fell not so silently against his will.

"Oz?"

FUCK.

Oz jolted and let go of his crotch, pretending everything was completely fine when everything was not fine. Without the pressure of his hands he began to leak continuously, much slower than the first time. He glanced up at Gilbert's face for a split second, barely recognizing the look of confusion on his face.

Gilbert had been woken by the child's crying and had no idea why he would be. The storm had stopped hours ago; what was wrong? It took one look at the boy's position to know he was terrified but Gilbert was lost as to what could have possibly caused it.

"What's wrong?" The man asked worriedly, feeling the boy freeze against him. He cautiously pulled him closer and rolled onto his back so he'd have an easier time getting his attention. "Are you okay?" He wondered, concerned.

Oz had frozen in an attempt to not piss all over the bed. When he was rolled with Gil he laid on top of the man with his legs straddling his stomach. The distance between his legs caused his hips to tremble as he tried to hold it, using only his pelvic muscles to keep from having an accident. Despite this small amounts of urine continued to leak out of him, only adding to his panic.

His stomach throbbed mercilessly. He wanted desperately to just let go and stop putting himself through the pain of holding it. He wanted to be alone so he could at least suffer by himself. But he knew that he couldn't just pee on Gil and there was no chance that the man would let him be by himself.

He was faintly aware of Gilbert trying to get his attention but couldn't care less about what he was saying. He was doing his best to hide his desperation and was shocked Gil hadn't noticed yet. They were right up against each other and somehow he hadn't figured out why the boy was shaking or felt how wet he was.

"Oz." Gil called, gently shaking the boy's shoulder to get his attention. He never seemed to hear his voice and flinched away from the touch fearfully. "Calm down, what's wrong?" He asked again, lost.

Gil was at a loss for what to do. Should he calm the child down first or try and figure out what was the matter? He didn't even know how to calm Oz down, or how to encourage him to speak. Oz wasn't a conversationalist on a normal day, so he was definitely not going to be speaking while he was scared in the middle of the night. How was he supposed to figure out what was wrong? Gilbert wished he knew what was wrong. He wanted to be able to soothe Oz's fear, to fix whatever it was that was distressing him so much. It hurt to see him trembling in fear when he was more or less completely safe.

The man tried to coax the boy into lay down completely; at the moment he was on his knees so that his stomach and hips were off of Gilbert, leaving a couple of inches between them. He hoped that by getting the child to lay down he could get him to relax more. He gently pressed on the boy's lower back, hoping it would cause him to lay down.

Oz was unable to muster up the strength to keep himself on his knees when he felt the hand on his back and reluctantly laid down. This minute change in position put too much pressure on his stomach and he began to pee full force. The boy froze for a second, just long enough for Gilbert to notice his stomach was wet.

Before Gil could stop him Oz pushed himself off the bed and tumbled onto the floor with a loud thump. He scrambled to his feet and stood defensively, ready to run at the first sight of danger. He and Gilbert fell silent, only the soft pattering of pee hitting the floor breaking it.

For the first time ever Oz made eye contact with Gil, his gaze daring the man to make a move. The challenge in his eyes was thin and weak, a fearful attempt to intimidate Gil in hopes that the bold display would make him hesitate long enough for him to run if he needed to. Tears brimmed in his frightened eyes and began to fall down his face. Oz sniffed and hiccuped, the challenge in his gaze melting into a terrified submission. Gil could see him begin to shake where he stood and was worried he would pass out.

Gilbert sat on the bed, still trying to process what was happening. It took him several moments to realize that Oz was scared because he'd needed to pee. The realization only made him more confused; why would Oz be afraid of that? He'd been living with him for a little over a day and he hadn't gotten scared when he had to pee before, so why now? There was the little added on fact that he was having an accident but that couldn't account for his distress before that had happened.

He was totally shocked by Oz's sudden change in mentality as well; he'd gone from a shaking leaf to a fearful cat poised to strike in a matter of seconds. He was hesitant to do anything, unable to predict what the boy's response would be. He hadn't seen him act like this before.

As it was, he had no experience with kids. He had even less experience with a scared and abused teenager at four in the morning on three hours of sleep. He had no idea what to make of what was happening, what he should do or what he should say.

At first, Gil thought he should wait to make a move until Oz had at least finished peeing. He'd be able to focus better once there was no longer something running down his legs and he'd probably feel better as well. And so he waited, becoming increasingly shocked by how much the boy had held in. Even after over a minute he had yet to stop.

Neither of them made a sound. Gil sat quietly on the bed, watching Oz closely and Oz stood speechless, watching his guardian out of the corner of his eyes. Oz's crying had fallen completely silent, becoming nothing more than the tears pouring down his face and an occasional hiccup. Gil found the lack of noise unnerving. The silence was killing him.

"Oz, I'm not going to hurt you." He said slowly, understanding that that was exactly what the boy expected. He leaned to stand up carefully, never taking his eyes off of Oz. The boy stumbled backwards and slammed into Gil's dresser, banging his head on its edge. The blow seemed to unphase him, not even eliciting a gasp of pain from him as he ran from the room, leaving Gil behind completely in shock.

Gil stood motionless, trying to process what had just happened. He was truly afraid for Oz; the terror he'd seen swimming in the boy's eyes was the same fear that was present in the eyes of an animal before it was killed. How horrible of an experience must he have had with having an accident that he was afraid it would cost him his life?

He forced himself to move and see where Oz had ran. It was easy to figure out as the floor was wet where he'd been as he had still been peeing when he ran. He'd hid in the bathroom and locked the door. Gil gently knocked on the door as listened closely, not even hearing a peep from inside.

He sighed, knowing Oz wasn't going to come out anytime soon. He decided to let him be alone for a bit, hoping he'd calm down at least a little bit to the point where he could be reasoned with. In the meantime, Gilbert got to work cleaning up the huge mess he'd made, switching his clothes and changing the bedsheets.

Even after the half hour it took for him to finish the task, Oz still refused to open the bathroom door. Gilbert sighed again and left to grab a few paperclips; he'd pick the lock. He'd long since lost the key to that particular lock and didn't think he'd ever need it again. After this he'd have to check which locks he didn't have keys to and get new ones.

He took less than a minute to pick the lock. When it was opened it made a faint click, a sound Oz no doubt heard. Gil waited a moment before opening the door to give him time to process the click and then slowly peeked his head inside.

Oz was sitting on the edge of the bathtub staring apprehensively at the door, no calmer than he'd been a half hour ago. He sat with his head in his hands, very obviously still panicking. His eyes met Gil's for a split second before Oz realized that the man was even there. He suddenly fell into the tub, acting like he'd been jumpscared. Gil frowned worriedly at how careless he was, noticing that he didn't seem to care whether or not he got hurt in his attempts to get away from him. He was certain he could see spots of blood in the child's hair from when he'd hit his head on the dresser as well.

Gil stepped fully inside the room and shut the door. "Oz, calm down. You're okay." He whispered gently, slowly stepping towards the boy. Oz pressed himself into the wall as he approached, becoming more and more afraid the closer he got. Gil knelt down at the edge of the tub and lowered his head to the boy's level, attempting to make himself as nonthreatening as possible.

Oz pushed on the edge of the tub closest to Gil, trying to push himself farther away than the wall allowed. He stared at the man warily, eyes wide open and streaming with terrified tears. He was waiting for Gil to lash out at him, to yell at him for what he'd done. He sunk deeper into the tub, making himself as small as he could and vainly trying to hide.

Gil returned his gaze, keeping his eyes tender and forgiving. He made no move to touch the boy and didn't talk. He let his presence do the negotiating in the child's mind, knowing that anything else would be interpreted negatively. To Oz, he knew that as he was at the moment he was seen as a threat. Oz had to calm down from his anxiety before he could realize that he was not. Everything at the moment appeared as a threat to him, making it impossible for him to think straight.

They stayed quiet for minutes on end. Gil was waiting for Oz to calm down but didn't see it happening. The boy was anticipating some kind of negative outcome and wasn't going to put the expectation aside. The longer they locked gazes the quicker his breathing became until he was essentially hyperventilating.

Gil decided he didn't have time to wait for Oz to calm down anymore, if he didn't do anything the poor kid was going to pass out. He gently reached a hand out and brushed it against the child's hand, watching as he pulled away as if the man was a hot coal. Gil placed his hand on Oz's chest and gently hushed him as his breathing became even more erratic than before.

"Oz, I'm not going to hurt you." Gil repeated in a low voice, his tone on the borderline of babytalk. It seemed a bit weird to babytalk the teen but his mind wasn't the mind of teen at the moment; it was closer to a young child who been slapped or an abused puppy. The man felt that the soft tone of voice would calm him down better than words or actions could.

Oz tried to pull away from Gil's hand but was already back against the wall. He yelped as if he'd been struck and wiggled around underneath the hand, not knowing what else to do. Gil leaned in and hugged the boy, getting a similar shriek, louder in response. It broke his heart to see the anxiety eating away at the child's heart, to see him so scared that even the lightest of touches caused him to cry out like he was in pain.

Gil pet the boy's hair, cringing internally at the animalistic cries of phantom pain that came out of the boy's mouth every time he was touched. He found the cut on his head from the dresser and was relieved it was fairly small, also happy that he could find no other new injuries on the boy. "It's okay Oz." Gil whispered. "You're safe." He promised, knowing the boy couldn't comprehend what he meant at the moment.

Oz tried to pull away again, more desperately than before, beginning to sob hysterically between his frightened cries. His anxiety, thrashing and sobbing all ebbed away at his energy until he was too weak to pull away anymore. Even after he tired himself out and could no longer try to fight his guardian off he continued to cry out, horrified.

Gilbert continued to hold the boy, gently talking to him and petting his hair. Over time the pained cries died down and Oz fell silent, finally coming down from his haze of panic. Gil held him until he was certain he had calmed down and sat Oz up when he let go.

"Do you think you can stand?" Gilbert asked. Oz had been in his soaked pants for at least an hour and he was worried if he didn't get cleaned up soon he was going to have a rash. He didn't expect the boy to be able to stand and figured he'd have to give him a bath.

Oz seemed to want to try and stand; though he refused to talk after what he'd just gone through and Gilbert didn't blame him. He took Gil's hand and wobbly got to his feet, his legs turning to jello underneath him. His knees buckled and Gil managed to catch him before he hit his head again. Gilbert sat Oz down on the toilet and drew a bath so he could clean the child up.

Gilbert felt so bad for Oz at the moment; the poor child was shaking like a leaf. His whole body was trembling lightly from the adrenaline still running through his veins. His panic attack also left him too tired to even move; every time Oz would attempt to move his actions were painstakingly slow and he almost couldn't do what he wanted. Gilbert figured his weakness would make it easier to give him a bath, since he could easily be overpowered without force.

Getting the boy undressed was a challenge though, as he was both severely shy and worried about what Gilbert was going to do. Oz somehow had enough energy left to pull away from his guardian when he tried to touch him. Gilbert found himself getting frustrated with him and thought it was a miracle when he finally managed to get the child in the tub.

On a normal day, Gilbert would have let Oz clean himself up. He decided to do it himself this time due to the fact that Oz was half awake, shaking like a leaf and coming down from a vicious panic attack. The child wouldn't be able to do it by himself regardless, yet he couldn't comprehend that it was fine for Gilbert to help him instead. It was a hard task to get Oz to understand he wasn't going to hurt him and had to be repeated frequently as he began to doubt its truth.

Gilbert noticed Oz was afraid of him touching his penis. He was fairly complaint with being washed for an anxious child until the man got to his shaft. It made total sense to Gil why he was afraid but he still had to clean him up and didn't want to accidentally hurt him in the process.

He stopped trying to touch him for a moment and switched his attention to the scratch on his scalp; just above his left ear. It wasn't that bad at all and could easily be cleaned. Done with that, Gil went back to trying to finish cleaning the boy's crotch. Oz still wouldn't let him as he was too skittish to allow it.

Gil tried to show him nothing bad was going to happen gradually. At first he only touched the boy's stomach, right over his bladder. "Is anything bad happening?" He asked Oz, setting out to get the boy to admit to himself that there was nothing wrong.

Oz stared apprehensively at his hand for a moment, indecisive. "No." He mumbled.

Gil moved his hand to the inside of Oz's thigh. "What about now?"

Oz fought the urge to pull away from his guardian. "No." He admitted again.

"Okay." Gil said, happy about how quick he was being to admit it. He could tell that Oz was afraid despite consciously recognizing he wasn't in danger and let him be for a moment. Once he thought the boy was calm enough he reached out and gently touched his crotch; he didn't grab it or anything like that, he simply touched it with his fingers.

Oz whined nervously and looked away, hiding his face behind his arm. He hesitantly pushed Gil's hand away and began to shake again in fear. Gilbert sighed and figured he wasn't going to get anywhere with Oz at the moment. He took a moment to calm the child down before helping him out of the water and beginning to dry him off.

The boy was still unable to stand and reluctantly let Gilbert support him while he helped him get dressed. To his dismay Gilbert brought him back to his room when they were ready to go back to sleep. If he had reasons to not want to sleep in the company of someone else before, what had just happened was the icing on the cake. There was no way he'd be able to fall asleep again.

Gil didn't hold Oz this time around when they laid down, knowing the boy was uncomfortable as it was. He wanted to stay awake to watch over him before he fell asleep but began to drift off almost immediately. He was exhausted from the two hours it had taken to calm Oz down from his panic. That being said, he could only imagine how Oz felt; he was probably still struggling to stay awake though.

Gil sighed as he fell asleep, worrying even when he was unconscious about Oz.

Done! What did you guys think?

I was blushing soooo hard the whole time I wrote the end of this. XD Ugg, I think I've correctly depicted the terror Oz would realistically feel. I had a hard time deciding what to do though, there were hundreds of scenarios I could have used but I think this one works.

Until next time!


	4. Nightmare

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Hey guys, thank you for viewing. Once again, sorry for how long the upload took. As you guys can see from the last chapter, this story is going to get happier as it goes on, but there is also some pretty sad chapters.

For the chapters like the prologue I will be putting warnings at the top and if it's only a specific part I will indicate what part so you guys can still read if you don't want to see the angst. Thank you guys for being patient and I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

By the way, this is a chapter containing blood, severe language, abuse and other things of that nature. If you do not wish to read this chapter, it will be briefly recapped in the next chapter.

.o.O.o. (7 years ago)

It was early morning, just early enough for the sun to still be hidden behind the trees. Small amount of sunlight making it past their leaves shown through Oz's window, duly lighting up his dark blue walls. Oz lay in his bed quietly, having just woken up from a deep slumber moments ago. He sighed uncomfortably and rolled over onto his side, legs curled up halfway.

He fidgeted for a few moments, trying to ignore the growing discomfort in his stomach. He didn't want to let it get any farther than the back burner in his mind, or else it would be much harder to deal with. Letting things like pain run his thoughts only made him obsess over it, and obsessing made it worse than it really was.

The boy heard the shower start in the next room, mentally calculating the time he had left until the shower turned off; a half hour. He groaned internally, wishing he hadn't drunk that last glass of water the night before. Oz really needed to use the bathroom, so bad that most people would have taken care of it awhile ago. He would have, and definitely would have liked to, but there were several rules at his father's house regarding that.

Oz was not permitted to wander the house at night, or leave his bedroom before his father "woke" him up. Even if he braved the beating he would receive and went to the bathroom, the door was locked until Zai took his morning shower. The message was simple; suffer obediently or face the consequences. There wasn't much choice in the matter either way; Oz tended to face both sides of the coin no matter what happened.

The blond patiently waited, having gone through the same circumstances many times before. The looming pressure in his stomach was an all too familiar sensation, one that he had come to live with more than he lived without. To occupy himself he picked up one of his stuffed animals-a black rabbit-situated at the head of his bed. He played with its fur intently, twisting its ears into different hairstyles to distract himself from the painful fullness in his bladder.

Every few minutes the pain won his attention, causing him to grab at his groin frantically, attempting to put off the crushing urge to pee. He bounced around, crossing and pressing his legs together as the desperation worsened. He groaned impatiently and gritted his teeth, unable to wait for the torture to end. There was no way for him to escape his predicament. He had to wait.

And that was precisely what he hated so much about his father. He took every opportunity to turn something into a desperation game for him. It was his personal mission to make Oz as uncomfortable as possible, and to make him feel like he was doing it to himself at the same time. He found some sick pleasure in seeing the boy struggle to hold it in, so much that he made sure Oz almost always had to pee.

It was kind of the like how hunger was always gnawing at your stomach when you didn't have anything to eat; though in this situation there was always a way out. Granted, it wasn't favorable and wouldn't end well, but it was a way to end the torture.

Oz had just made the rabbit look like Elvis when the shower turned off. The blonde put the rabbit back where he had found it, undoing its hair and lying down under the covers. He fidgeted constantly, trying to keep control of his bladder until his father came to get him. His legs were still tightly crossed and pressed together, as he couldn't hold it without the pressure anymore. It hurt, it was so painful, but he had little choice. The alternative was much worse than the seemingly miniscule discomfort he was enduring.

Much to his dismay, his body rebelled against him, refusing to put up with the strain he was putting it through. He clawed at his crotch, pulling frantically at it, desperately trying to stop himself from peeing. His actions were in vain, and he was unable to stop himself from soaking the bed.

"Shhhiiiiiiitttttttttttt" Oz thought, knowing he was in for a beating. "Fuck my life."

As if on cue, Zai stormed in to wake him up. Oz prayed vainly that his father wouldn't notice the mess he'd made of the bed, already coming to terms with the fact that there was no way he wasn't going to notice. Zai pulled the blankets off his son, immediately punching the kid in the nose. Oz yelped and held his nose, blood pouring out of his nostrils, soaking his hands and running down his face. Piss mixed with the blood, his hands covered in it from attempting to keep himself from wetting the bed. Some of the mixture continuously dripped into his mouth, the salty taste making him want to puke.

"You disgusting animal! What the fuck did you do?" The man screamed, furious at the mess he had made.

Oz remained silent; anything he said would only anger his father more. Instead he drew his legs to his chest and laid his head down on them, protecting all his vital organs. He sat in wait, mentally and physically preparing for the coming abuse.

"Answer me when I speak to you!" Zai roared as he dragged the blond off the bed, throwing him roughly to the floor. Oz uncoiled just enough to break the fall, giving his father the opportunity to kick him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. The boy clawed at his chest, frantically trying to suck air into his rebelling lungs. The blood from his face now dripped on to the floor, quickly beginning to pool underneath the boy's head.

Another kick connected with his stomach, causing Oz to cry out and hold his middle with one arm, the other still clawing frantically at his chest. Kick after kick assaulted the boy, bruising nearly every inch of his body and breaking several ribs. Blood gushed from his chest where one of the fragments had punctured his skin, its white surface sticking through his pajamas.

Oz bit his tongue hard, muffling his pained cries. Silence was best, but the agony of his bones breaking was more than he could bear. Tears poured down his face, choking him just as much as the kick that had compromised his windpipe. The sides of his vision were fading to black, a result of the pain of his injuries.

Zai needed no words to convey his hatred and rage. He pounded on his son until he was clinging to consciousness, holding back nothing. The final blow connected with the boy's crotch, leaving him paralyzed on the floor in pain. Oz's father left the room, growling as he shut the door, "Go take a shower and clean yourself up, I have some unfinished business to take care of." Oz shuddered internally, having seen the bulge in his pants as he walked from the room.

Oz laid on the group for several minutes, unable to move. His stomach was churning from the last kick, causing him to gag. One of his hands tenderly cupped his groin, favoring it over his stomach. He knew he needed to get up, if he didn't Zai would only come back and beat him worse. He couldn't bring himself to pick himself up though, still trying to get a grip on the pain he was already in. He just wasn't ready for the agony moving would cause.

After a minute he tried to force himself into a sitting position, crying out from the pain of moving his fractured ribs. He did his best to ignore the pain; he had to hurry, the faster he was the faster this was over. Despite his efforts the attempt failed and he fell back to the floor with a deafening shriek of pain. The hand not at his crotch grabbed at the floor, searching for something to hold onto and squeeze, something to take his pain out on. It, of course, found nothing on the hardwood flooring and instead curled into a tight fist, banging at the wood forcefully.

Oz panted raggedly, struggling to breathe through the tears, pain and his damaged rib cage. Tears poured down his face, accompanied by fit after fit of wracking sobs. He made another attempt to get up, this one much slower and careful. After at least ten minutes he managed to pull himself to his feet, wobbly stumbling into the bathroom.

He stripped off his bloody clothes and inspecting himself in the mirror. He had two black eyes and his nose had yet to stop bleeding. One of his teeth had been knocked out, but it had only been a baby tooth. His chest looked the worse, painted purple with a white bone sticking out on the lower right side. Miniature cuts bled from his arms and neck, smaller versions of a laceration across his stomach. Luckily the cut didn't go deep enough to show his organs, but it looked dangerously close. He was surprised his father's shoes could cut him so badly.

Oz turned on the shower, turning the valves until the water was a neutral warm. He bit his lip until he drew blood, forcing himself to swallow his pained cries as the water washed over his injuries. The pain was like having a dagger stuck into his body wherever he was hurt. Oz carefully cleaned the smaller cuts on his body, leaving his two worst wounds alone. Renewed tears fell down his face, both from the physical and emotional pain of being beaten.

The only person he ever saw other than the doctors and nurses who fixed his wounds was his father. If he saw his father then he was beaten for the smallest and stupidest reasons. On the rare occasion he was touched caringly it was after his father had satisfied himself with his son, tainting the perverse act of affection. It was the worst situation to be in, and he hated it.

He wondered when the whole predicament would end, when his father would stop beating and raping him. Deep down a part of him knew that wasn't going to happen, but it was the only hope he had to cling to. If he couldn't hope for the pain to end, what else could he hope for? He certainly couldn't hope to see anyone he knew again.

Everyone he knew and loved was dead.

His best friend? Gone forever.

His dog, the tiny little puff of fur that followed him around every day? Shot before it was a year old.

His old house, the beautiful light green building that used to stand proudly in the city? Burned to the ground.

There was literally nothing left. Just pain, just knowing he wasn't wanted, just enduring whatever his father put him through, having no way to stop him. Sometimes he wondered why his father even kept him around. He obviously hated him, so what was the point of having the boy live with him? All he did was beat him and tell him he shouldn't be alive, so why was he? That could have changed, but the man decided to save him.

It made no sense.

Oz shuddered as he stepped out of the shower, dreading going down the stairs. He dried himself off as best as he could and bandaged the wounds he was able to. To protect the slash on his stomach he used a roll of gauze and for the smaller cuts he used bandages, but only if necessary. The blond couldn't do anything about the rib puncturing his chest, so he left it alone.

Once he was dressed he left the bathroom and walked down the stairs, delivering himself into the arms of his father.

.o.O.o.

Finished! I hope this one was described okay, I feel like it's not written as well as the first chapter.

Thank you guys for reading and I hope you enjoyed it, again this will be briefly recapped in the next chapter. Don't worry, I promise no matter how long I take I will keep making chapters until its is done.

Until next time!


	5. Correcting Past Wrongs

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**_

 **Hey guys! Back for another chapter, this one briefly mentions what happened last chapter, but doesn't go into detail much, so squeamish people are safe. Once again I hope you guys enjoy, comments are encouraged and appreciated. This is the first time I tried a long story like this in this genre so I would like to know how I am doing!**

 **Also, I have no idea how long this fanfiction will end up being even though i have its plot set up and everything. All i ask is that you guys stay patient with me.**

 **Enjoy!**

.o.O.o.

Oz woke with a start, the images of his nightmare still fresh in his mind. His heart began to race and he breathed heavily, not fully realizing he had only been dreaming. He stared up at the ceiling of his bedroom, trying to calm himself with the knowledge that he was at Gil's house. After a moment he managed to calm himself back down, comforted by the lack of blood on his clothes and skin.

Just like in his nightmare, an incessant desperation tugged at his stomach, begging him to get up and use the bathroom. Out of pure habit, Oz laid in his bed, waiting for his friend to get him. The discomfort plaguing him faded from his mind as he was too tired to give it any attention. While he waited for Gil to come wake him up his eyes began to droop and he fell back into a light sleep.

Several minutes later Gilbert walked in, his hair tied back in a small ponytail and his sleeves rolled up to the elbow. He knelt down by Oz's head and gently shook the child away. "Time to get up." He said quietly, not wanting to be so loud so early in the morning.

Oz opened his eyes and looked up at his friend. He nodded his acknowledgement and sat up groggily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He moved to get up but froze in his tracks, paralyzed in fear. The teen gazed anxiously at his lap, seemingly lost in his thoughts. Bits and pieces of his nightmare flashed before his eyes, causing them to well up with frightened tears.

Gil took notice that Oz was crying, completely oblivious as to why he was upset. "Oz, what's wrong?" He wondered, worrying over the distressed boy. Oz didn't answer his question, too focused on something he was oblivious to to pay attention. The boy hung his head lowly, watching Gil's movement out of the corner of his eye. Every move he made caused the child to flinch as if he expected to be slapped.

Gil frowned, unsure what to do next. The raven haired man went to give him a hug, to offer him some kind of comfort, but was denied when Oz leaned away. 'Leaned away' was a gentle term; Oz yanked away from his guardian like an abused dog away from a hand. He sat on the bed with his arms positioned in a way that allowed for an immediate escape in the event he tried to run. "Did I do something wrong?" Gil asked, confused. All he had done was woken him up, that didn't seem like something Oz would feel threatened by to him. Maybe he had unconsciously done something that freaked him out. He was lost; he felt like he was failing at his job as the boy's caretaker not even 48 hours after he'd adopted him.

Oz still hadn't answered his question. A single tear fell down his cheek as he looked away, too afraid of his expected response. He was telling himself he was fine and Gil wouldn't yell at him, but part of him was holding onto his past experiences and was terrified. His past experience with mornings in general was making him fear his situation, even if he was completely safe.

"What's wrong?" Gil asked again, putting a hand on the bed next to the child's thigh. He noticed how wet the bed was, immediately realizing what was wrong. He hugged Oz gently, attempting to console his anxiety.

"Oz I'm not upset." Gil said. "Don't cry."

His words only succeeded in making the boy cry even harder. His breath hitched as big, fat tears flowed out of his eyes, streaking down his cheeks before being absorbed by the fabric of Gil's shirt. The boy violently yanked and pulled away from Gil, desperately trying to wiggle his way out of his touch. Gil noticed, however, he made no attempt to push him away; he avoided touching the man completely, even to add a little more distance between them. While Gil didn't hold him down or force him to endure something that brought him fear, he continued to hold him gently as he had no idea what else to do.

After a few seconds of struggle Oz had backed himself into the corner of the bed and up against the wall with nowhere else to go. Gil created a barrier between him and the rest of the room, making it impossible for him to run. Oz fearfully looked at Gil, turning away sharply if his eyes even came close to meeting his. The only thing Gil could see in his eyes was an animalistic terror, the look often seen in the eyes of an animal right before it was killed.

It honestly worried Gil, to see Oz so terrified, so traumatized that he seemed to expect death for such a simple mistake. He couldn't possibly imagine the horror the child must have gone through to create this kind of negative reaction.

Oz pressed into the wall with all of his strength, trying to melt into it. He eventually faced the reality that that was impossible and instead hid his face in his servant's shoulder, sobbing hysterically. Why wasn't he yelling at him? He was anticipating for some kind of scolding, and yet it never came.

Gilbert let him cry, sensing that his tears were caused by something more than simply wetting the bed. It was more likely that he was afraid of what Gil would do to him them what had actually happened. That was the case last night when they were on the couch; he hadn't been afraid of being held, he had been afraid of doing something wrong and being reprimanded.

Oz was so scared, the only thing he could do was cry. It was the most basic response he could have to his fear, but it was one he felt he shouldn't have. He tried to make himself stop crying, at least not as loudly, terrified it was going to get him in trouble. He wasn't supposed to be crying; it wasn't allowed. Despite this he couldn't calm himself down, he couldn't find an end to the anxiety.

Oz cried and cried and cried, soaking Gil's shirt. He only stopped when he cried away all his tears and he throat ached. He pulled away from his servant, chest still heaving spastically. The teen refused to make eye contact, much preferring his covers and the floor.

"Breath. It's okay." Gil soothed, rubbing the child's back gently. He was shocked by the intensity of his reaction and didn't know what to make of it. Of course, he hadn't expected Oz to wet the bed, but the boy acted like he'd yelled at him for it before and was afraid of it happening again. Was this a daily thing for him? If so, it would explain why he was so scared.

Eventually Oz's breathing evened out, leaving the two in a semi awkward silence. Gilbert stood up and offered his master his hand. The boy hesitated but took the offer, climbing out of the soaked bed. His face glowed a bright red, his embarrassment taking precedence over his fear.

"Go take a shower, I'll clean this up. When you're done I have breakfast downstairs." Gil said, gently waving the child off. He made sure to keep his tone light as to keep Oz from taking the motion the wrong way.

Oz practically ran out of the room, wanting to escape his current situation as fast as possible. He took a quick shower, the whole time dreading going downstairs. Once again, his mind was telling him he was fine, but his body's reaction was still tuned with his father, not Gil.

The blond descended the stairs to the first floor, where Gilbert was almost done cooking eggs and pancakes for breakfast. He took a seat at the dining table like he had been instructed the day before, watching his servant finish cooking. Gil turned around to bring the food to the table and Oz abruptly looked away, choosing his lap as a substitute.

Gil sat down next to Oz and the two ate breakfast in silence. Gilbert could easily tell the boy was still pretty upset about what had happened that morning and understood that he didn't want to talk. He was patient, washing the dishes and sitting on the couch next to Oz before he decided to speak.

"Sorry." Oz said, unable to put together more words. As it was he barely talked himself into saying that one word, worried it would do more harm than good.

"It's fine." Gilbert said. "There's nothing wrong with having accidents. Everyone does."

The boy's eyes lit up with amazement. "Even you?"

Gilbert laughed. "Yes, even me." He smiled heartwarmingly at his master. "I was just worried about the way you reacted."

Oz waited a moment before responding, taking in a deep breath. "My father used to get really mad at me whenever I had accidents, but they were always his fault because I wasn't allowed to leave my room in the morning until he woke me up." He said quickly, slurring some of the syllables in his haste.

Gil nodded in understanding. Now the hysterical crying made sense. His tone serious, Gil said, "Oz, I'm not that monster that called itself your father." He spat. "I would never hurt you, especially over something that stupid."

"I know, it's just that I had a nightmare of one of the times he beat me and when I woke up it was all I could think about..." Oz trailed off, the memory coming back to haunt him once more. He shivered, briefly reliving it's last moments on the couch.

Gil pulled the boy to his side, rubbing his shoulder comfortingly. He leaned back into the cushions of the couch, bringing the blond with him. He cuddled Oz, being careful to not upset the boy; any previous experience with touch he had ended in pain, and he didn't want to accidentally become affiliated with those past experiences. His job as Oz's caretaker was to help him overcome his past, not bring it back to haunt him.

Oz stiffened at his servant's touch, his mind still anticipating violence. He allowed himself to be held but didn't not respond to the contact. Like the first time he had been held by Gilbert, he felt uncomfortably restricted in movement. He fidgeted around, attempting to find a position that was comfortable.

Sensing the boy's discomfort, Gil sat the boy in his lap and held him around his stomach, keeping his arms free. Oz stopped fidgeting, finding the position much more comfortable than the first. He relaxed and leaned on Gil's chest, feeling it move up and down with the man's breathing.

For the first time since he could remember, he felt calm, maybe even happy in the embrace of another person. He felt no fear, no pain, no contempt; instead he felt warm and relaxed and happy.

He felt loved.

Oz was bombarded by so many thoughts and emotions he'd never truly experienced before, all of them the opposite of what he previously associated with human touch. He never wanted to leave his friends arms. He wished he could stay there in that moment forever, listening contently to the heartbeat of his servant filling the calm silence that floated in the room. Even though he had only woken up an hour ago, the blond slowly drifted off to sleep, lulled by the rhythmic pace of Gilbert's heart and lungs.

Gil smiled at the boy when he notice he had fallen asleep. He was elated that Oz felt comfortable enough in his embrace to fall asleep, not worrying about what the man might do to him while he was asleep. The raven haired man felt that he had overcome a milestone in the journey that was Oz's recovery from the world of abuse. Soon, Gilbert followed his master to the realm of sleep.

 **Done! Yay, I finally got to finish this chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed the fluff at the end, I'm happy I finally got to a point in the story where I could make it more upbeat.**

 **As always, I encourage and request comments, praise and flames alike. I like to know what you guys think, and to see your thoughts on the story.**

 **This is my first real story with multiple chapters and an elaborate plot, so I'm not sure how well I'm going to do until i'm done. I've figured out for those who want to know that this series is going to end up around 15 or more chapters long.**

 **Until next time!**


	6. Social Anxiety

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**_

 **Hey guys, I am so, so sorry for the long wait! I haven't had time to write lately and I had to change the plot of the story a bit because my other plan for this chapter seemed fake to me. So I kinda started over.**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy!**

Gilbert woke with a start, jerking his head up and cocking it in the direction of the door. His brain still clouded by sleep, Gilbert was confused as to why he had woken up until he heard the sound that had woke him up repeat. Someone was knocking- more like banging- on the door, and they were being persistent about it.

The raven haired man groaned internally, not wanting to get up from the warm couch where he a Oz were cuddling. He was severely tempted to just fall back asleep and ignore the person at the door, but if the person continued banging like that he would get a headache and they would wake Oz up. Despite himself he climbed off the couch, careful to not wake his master, and opened the door.

"What?" Gil growled. "Oh, it's you." He grumbled as he looked at the albino standing on his porch, smirking obnoxiously. He wore a purple long sleeve shirt with a long white coat over it, unbuttoned and hanging low on his arms, and a pair of black capris with white boots.

"Hello Gilbert! I thought we'd drop by for a little visit!" The albino explained happily, motioning to a teenage girl who stood behind him in a fluffy purple dress, her hair tied back in a golden ponytail.

The girl waved and smiled. "Hello Gilbert. It's nice to see you again." She said.

"Same." Gilbert yawned.

"My my, it seems that Raven didn't get enough sleep last night." The albino commented.

Gilbert glared at him. "Shut up. I just woke up; I feel asleep on the couch."

"And why would you be sleeping on a couch?"

"Because I can."

The man held his hands up. "No need to get feisty!" He smiled, looking over the raven haired man's shoulder into the house. "So there's a rumor spreading around Pandora that you adopted a little cutie! Is that true?" He wondered curiously, turning his head to the side.

Gil sighed. "Yes, I adopted my master from when I was a younger. His father was seen as an unfit caregiver and I was the only other living person he could consider family." He explained.

"Well then, may we meet him?"

Gil huffed, "Yeah, sure. If you'll stop bothering me about it."

He turned around and walked back into the house, his two guests following and shutting the door. The three moved to the couch where Oz lay, still asleep. Gil knelt down next to the boy's head and gently shook his shoulder to wake him. It took a moment for the blond to come to. His eyes fluttered open and immediately found Gil's face and he smiled sleepily.

"Wake up." Gil whispered as he stood back up.

Oz sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He looked around the room, noticing to his dismay the two guests who had come to meet him. The blond jumped off the couch and hid behind Gilbert, trying to make himself disappear behind his servant.

Gil turned to look at the boy and rubbed his arm to console him. "Oz, this is Break and Sharon." Gilbert said, motioning to the albino and blond respectively. "They're friends from where I work."

"Hi Oz! It's nice to meet you!" Break said bubbly, waving and beaming at the child. The excited tone in his voice put Oz off, causing him to flinch away.

"It's a pleasure." Sharon said, much more calmer than her companion. "Nice to meet you."

Oz didn't reply to either of their words, still a little too startled and scared to talk. Due to his lack of speech a voice spoke up saying, "What a wimpy kid! Afraid of a couple of harmless humans!" The voice seemed to come from a purple doll perched on Break shoulder, which animated whenever it spoke.

Break shook his finger disapprovingly at it. "Now Emily, don't go around saying things like that!" He scolded the doll gently, pursing his lips as he spoke.

Absolutely dumfounded, Oz questioned, "It talks?"

Emily sneered in response, "Of course I can talk!"

"She's a special girl." Break added on.

"Yeah, she's special alright." Gilbert mocked with a roll of his eyes.

Turning his attention back to the child behind him, Gilbert patted Oz's head and said, "It's alright. Break is weird, but he means well."

The albino crossed his arms and huffed childly. "I am not weird." He whined, offended his friend's comment.

Niether Oz or Gilbert paid him any attention. Oz nodded to Gilbert in recognition, though he did not seem to calm down. Instead he simply stared at the two, refusing to stop hiding behind his guardian. Gilbert sighed and looked apologetically at Break and Sharon. "He's a little shy." He explained.

Break smirked. "He seems to be."

Bringing his attention back to Oz, Gilbert asked, "Would you like to do anything today?"

Oz stared at the raven haired man's face while he thought. Eventually he said, "Can we play some games?"

Gilbert smiled at his simple request. "Of course."

Break beamed. "I would love to stay for a round. What shall we play Gilbert?"

Gil shrugged before walking over to his Wii U, sifting through the selection of games he owned. "Well the only multiplayer game I really have is Just Dance 2014...do you want to play that?" He asked, turning to Oz as he said the last part of his sentence.

The blond turned his head to the side cutely. "What's Just Dance?" He wondered, having never heard of the game series before.

Gil said, "Its a dance game."

"Ohh. Okay then."

Gilbert smiled again and playfully rolled his eyes as he popped the game in the corresponding console. He then stood up and grabbed his two Wii remotes, handing one to Oz. "We'll have to take turns, I only have two remotes." Gil said as he turned on the Wii U and clicked on the game in the menu.

Break sat down, followed by Sharon. "That's fine. It'll be fun to watch you flail around first." Break taunted with a smirk, knowing the raven haired man couldn't dance to save his life.

Gilbert's face flushed. "Shut up."

Ignoring the albino occupying his couch, Gil set up the game and began flipping through the song choices. He clicked on Applause by Lady Gaga and showed Oz how the game worked. First he tightened the wrist strap on the boys arm so it wouldn't fly off.

"Okay, so when the song starts playing you'll see dance moves down here" He explained, pointing to the point of the screen where Oz's instructions would appear. "and you do what they show. Its easy, don't worry."

"Ready?" He asked.

"Yeah." Oz replied, his eyes trained on the part of the screen Gil had pointed to.

Gil pressed start and the song started. One thing was obvious right off the bat; Oz wasn't all that great at the game, partially because he was still learning, but Gil was even worse. The raven haired man received no points for anything he did. Even thought he was concentrating hard on dancing Oz occasionally laughed at his friend's flailing.

Once the song was over Break stood up and took the remote from Gilbert. "Now now Gilbert, let me show you how it's done." He chose Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke.

Gil sat on the couch next to Sharon and watched the two dance, upset at how well Break was doing compared to him. Oz was cute to watch, looking very out of his element while dancing to the song, which fit Break's personality perfectly.

The four of them took turns playing various songs for the next couple of hours, laughing at each other's mistakes. By the end of their play they were all exhausted and were ready for a nap.

Break smiled. "Well wasn't that fun?" He said, clapping his hands together in front of his chest.

"Yes, it was." Gilbert agreed, looking down at Oz who sported a faint smiled.

The albino sighed. "I would love to stay longer, but me and my lady must be off now." He said as he and Sharon walked towards the door. Gilbert followed and gave them a proper farewell before closing the door.

Walking back over to Oz he hugged the boy happily. "I'm so proud of you." He praised. "Did you have fun?"

Oz returned his caregiver's hug and nodded. Gil rested his chin of the boys head. "That's good."

 _Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I am once again sooooo sorry for how long this chapter took, I've just been too busy to write lately. I promise, I have not given up on this series and I will continue writing. The chapters should start coming out faster starting next week because I won't have to do as much. Please continue to be patient and let me know what you're thinking about the story so far!_

 _Until next time!_


	7. Learning Differences

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**_

 **Hey guys! Sorry for this chapter being on the shorter side, and for how long it took to come out. Remember, feedback is greatly appreciated and encouraged in all forms. If you have tips, comments, concerns or confusions please don't hesitate to speak up!**

 **Enjoy!**

 ***Warning*: This chapter contains mentions of child neglect, character death and very faint hints at rape. If you do not wish to read about this, simply skip all print in Italics. It will not be recapped at all in this chapter, another chapter, or in the comments after the story.**

.o.O.o. (The Next Morning)

 _Oz sat in his room, trying to entertain himself with the small arrangement of stuffed animals he had lying around. He sat a black rabbit in his lap and played with its ears boredly, having nothing better to do. When he bored of that he simply gazed into its beady eyes and held it in his hands, running his fingers over the soft fur._

 _His stomach growled angrily, begging to be fed. The problem was, his father wasn't home, and there was nothing in the house to eat. His father actually hadn't been home for over three days, and the sad part was that was normal._

 _Zai tended to disappear for days to weeks on end at a time about once every month. Whenever he was gone Oz was left to his own devices and was deprived of food and attention, even if that attention was violent._

 _The blonde continued to stare at his stuffed animal, bored out of his mind. He brought the rabbit to his chest and embraced it, longing for the touch of another human being. Not the perverted affection his father gave when he did_ _things_ _to him._

 _He yearned for loving, innocent touch._

 _The kind that made you feel warm inside. That made you feel safe and loved and wanted. That made you forget about time, pain, hunger, sadness. The kind he hadn't felt since he had been kidnapped 3 years ago._

 _Oz's eyes watered slightly as he thought of Gil. Though he had been a few years older than him, the raven haired boy had loved watching over him and playing with him. He remembered the times when they hid from the maids and when they slept together on stormy nights when it thundered outside._

 _The boy hugged his rabbit closer to himself, remembering the day Gil gave it to him. His fourth birthday. The day he was taken away. The day his family died. The last day he saw Gil._

 _Tears began to fall down his face as he was bombarded by happy memories contaminated by his current situation, turning them into sad memories with a crushing weight to them. His chest felt heavy, making it hard to breath as he began to cry, desperately hoping someone would come to his rescue._

Oz opened his eyes, tears already flowing out of them. He frantically searched his bed until he found his black rabbit, now flat from years of use, and clung to it, crying loudly into its old but still soft fur. His cries slowly mounted until they became wracking sobs that filled the quietness of the night.

The boy gave one, heart wrenching cry to the night as he called out for his friend. "GIL!" His breath hitched as soon as the word left him and he continued to sob, unable to shake the sinking feeling of abandonment from his mind.

Within a few seconds his bedroom door burst open, causing the boy to hold his breath look it's way, shocked from the sudden movement and sound. Standing in the doorway was Gilbert, his eyes full of fright from the desperate cry that had woken him up.

Oz took in a sharp, shaky breath and dropped his stuffed animal into his lap, reaching his arms out desperately to the raven haired man, longing to be held. Tears poured down his face, which was scrunched in emotion.

Gilbert rushed to the boy's aid, holding him tightly in his arms. He sat down on the bed and pulled the teen into his lap, caressing his head with one hand. He gently rocked himself back and forth, trying to calm the boy down.

Sobs continued to wrench the boy's body as he clutched his guardian, terrified that if he let go then the man would disappear forever. He was lost in a haze of fear, anxiety, loneliness, depression, and abandonment.

Gilbert held the boy, completely in the dark as to why he was crying. As he thought through the causes he came to the conclusion it was mostly likely a nightmare or haunting memory. If that was true, then the confusing part was why the boy had called his name. If he was reliving something from the past, then it wouldn't make sense to him to call out to someone else, considering most of his memories with other people were filled with pain and suffering.

Regardless of what had caused it, Gil knew that Oz was in a lot of distress. He began thinking of ways to calm the boy down, suddenly thinking of the golden pocket watch he always carried around. He remembered that when they were younger he would open it for him and a slow, nostalgic tune would play.

He lifted the boy into his arms and carried him to his own room, sitting down on his bed and searching through his drawers until he found the pocket watch. He pressed the button on its side and it opened, singing its sorrowful piece into the night.

Oz's crying continued on for awhile, even with the music playing. However the teen began to quiet down eventually. Gilbert hummed along to the tune of the pocket watch, waiting patiently for his master to calm down.

It took hours, but the blonde finally stopped crying, and instead listened to the tune that filled the room. Gilbert had leaned against his headboard with Oz's head resting on his chest, allowing the boy to feel the vibrations of the man's lungs as he hummed along to the tune. Soon Oz found himself gently humming along as well and his eyes began to droop.

Within the next few minutes he had fallen asleep, his peaceful face giving no indication of his previous distress, with the exception of the tear tracks that stained his cheeks. Gil sighed, relieved that Oz has finally succumbed to sleep and was no longer crying. Now that the ordeal was over, he too fell asleep.


	8. Work

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**_

 **Heys guys, I'm back for another chapter! Sorry again for the wait, I had to take a break to keep the writing from going downhill. That happens when a writer gets bored or if they work too long on the same thing. I'll be posting a lot more now that it's summer, but i'll be offline for a week next week. Until then I hope you guys continue to be patient and read. Thank you so much for the support so far.**

 **Oh, and before I forget to ask you guys about it (because I will) I was thinking about writing another story where Oz has a service dog (I'm not giving away any more details though). I can either write this story separate, or I can include the idea in this fanfic. Which would you guys prefer? Please let me know in the comments or pm me so I can make a decision. The poll is also on google+ if you want to vote that way (my google+ is ). I will be choosing 2 weeks after this chapter comes out.**

 **Also this chapter involves a trip to the doctor's office, and it might get a little awkward, so warning. Other than that, no warnings.**

 **And as always, enjoy!**

Gil and Oz were in Gilbert's car, driving silently along the highway. Gilbert was a little nervous about going back to work. He knew he eventually had too, but he didn't want to leave Oz home alone and the poor boy also had social anxiety, so bringing him along with himself to work wasn't the best idea. His coworkers were friendly and would immediately fawn over the boy as soon as they saw him which would no doubt be uncomfortable for Oz. But then again it was also a good thing because Oz would have to begin school at some point and needed to repair his social skills. Overly hyper adults was one place to start.

While Gil drove Oz sat idly in the passenger seat, staring at the scenery as it passed by the window. When Gilbert had told him where they were going he didn't seem troubled, but he also didn't seem happy. His only response was a simple "okay" before he returned his attention to the window.

After a 30 minute drive on the highway they arrived at the building where Gilbert worked. It was a tall office type building made up of black bricks and sparse but pristine windows. Printed clearly in large letters over the front doors was the business's name: _Pandora_.

The boys stepped out of the car, Gilbert taking Oz's hand to guide him as they walked inside. Sitting at a desk opposite the front doors was a woman in a formal black dress signing paperwork. She looked up when the doors opened and smiled kindly at the two. "Hello Gilbert, it's nice to have you back." She said before turning her attention to Oz, who was partially hiding behind Gilbert. "And who is the little one?"

"This is Oz." Gilbert said, patting the boy on the head affectionately. "He's going to be coming with me to work for the next few days."

The woman nodded thoughtfully. "Well then, welcome to Pandora Oz. It was nice meeting you." She flashed a warm smile before returning to her work.

Gilbert offered a goodbye before leading Oz down the long hallway to an elevator. He pressed the button and patiently waited for the elevator doors to open before stepping inside and pressing the button for floor 10. When they reached their floor Gilbert walked down another hallway to his office.

He opened the door and allowed Oz to step in. The office was a fair size; large enough to hold a desk and a stained oval table. The walls were a light beige that matched dark wood floors. The desk was black and had three different layers of shelves on top of it housing a computer, staplers, writing utensils, paperwork, folders and binders. The oval table was a simple piece of wood stained dark brown surrounded by 6 chairs of the same color.

Gilbert motioned for Oz to sit down at the table while Gil set his stuff down next to his desk. Once he was situated he pulled a tablet out of his bag and handed to it Oz. "Here, I have a few games on there you might want to play with." He said as he turned it on.

Oz took the device and watched it intently as it booted up and displayed a simple wallpaper like background. He played with the screen, clicking on random apps and exiting out of them as he learned how the electronic worked.

As the boy played with the tablet Gilbert couldn't help but smile as he realized Oz had probably never used a tablet before. Despite the fact he seemed to be catching on fairly fast and was soon playing with a simple drawing app. Gilbert began his work once he was sure Oz would be fine on his own for a bit.

Gilbert's job wasn't exactly exciting, but it wasn't boring either. He filed events that were crimes, whether it be a murder or a robbery, into a government database where they could be used later for various reasons. Gil was able to use the database to keep up with the case of Oz's kidnapping. He could find and read anything in the database involving the case and was always aware of whatever the rest of the world knew about it. The job had its perks.

Gilbert worked in silence for a few minutes before he heard a knock at his door. Without looking away from his computer he yelled, "Come in!", making sure he was loud enough to be heard through the door.

The door opened, revealing Gilbert's albino coworker. Gil glanced up and asked, "What do you want Break?"

Break frowned. "Do you always have to be so forward?" He asked in return, pouting like a child. "I just wanted to come say hi to Oz!" He explained as he turned to the boy and waved enthusiastically.

Upon hearing his name Oz looked up, breaking his concentration on the tablet for the first time that day. When he saw Break he looked over to Gilbert as if looking for reassurance or direction. Gilbert motioned for him to speak, and Oz seemed to gulp as he looked back at Break. He stared down at the table, unable to look at the albino. "Hi."

"Hi indeed." Break replied. "Do you like Pandora?" He questioned, attempting a conversation.

Oz nodded, never taking his eyes off the table. He picked up the tablet and began playing a game again, hoping to hide behind it a bit. Break was a little too hyper for his taste.

Break nodded as well. He walked around the table and leaned over the blonde's shoulder, asking, "What are you playing?"

"Geometry Dash." Oz replied quietly, leaning away from him uncomfortably.

"Oooh, I absolutely love that game!" Break squealed happily. He leaned in closer to the blond, watching the boy play one of the easier levels. This, however, began to unnerve him and he moved his chair away from the albino, only for him to move closer again. Oz stayed silent despite his discomfort, all but trained to suffer in silence.

Gilbert looked up every once in awhile to check on Oz, knowing how much it stressed him to be around new people. When he noticed the slump in his master's shoulders signifying his anxiety he said, "Oz." The boy looked over at him, his eyes showing the fear he was feeling. Gilbert pushed away from the desk a little bit patted his leg. "Come here."

The boy obeyed, but simply stood next to his servant, not understanding what the gesture had meant. Gilbert guided Oz gently by the hips in front of him and pulled him into his lap, rolling the chair closer to the desk so he could place the tablet on it like he had with the table. Gil grabbed some papers off his desk and held them out to Break, who stood and took them. "Take these to Reim."

"Alright." Break said, leaving the room, a little disappointed he couldn't stay and talk.

Gilbert could feel Oz breathe easier now that the man was gone and lightly ruffled the boy's hair before going back to work. Now that Oz was sitting in his lap he had to lean a bit to the side and work one handed, but he didn't care. As long as Oz was comfortable.

The two sat in a relaxed silence for the next few hours. An occasional person would come in to give Gilbert papers, each asking about Oz with the same enthusiastic nature. Each attempted a bit of small talk out of the boy before they had to carry on with their work, getting nothing more than a short, shy reply.

Gilbert frowned at this. They would have to work on Oz's confidence and social skills a lot, seeing as how he couldn't even keep eye contact with someone other than trusted friend. He didn't want the boy to be all alone when he had to go back to school because he was too shy to talk to anyone. He would bring it up later.

After a while Gilbert noticed that Oz occasionally shifted in his lap, unlike before when he sat completely still. He would have normally blamed it on the boy being restless, but Oz didn't get restless; or if he did then he didn't physically show it. This confused him, as he couldn't think of another reason why the blond would be fidgeting.

The fidgeting continued and slowly became more frequent as time passed. Gil also noticed that Oz was becoming less focused when he heard the songs for the levels of Geometry Dash restarting more and more often. Adding the behaviors together, he finally figured out what was wrong and mentally slapped himself for not noticing sooner.

"Oz, do you need to use the bathroom?" Gilbert asked in a neutral voice, hoping the question wouldn't upset the boy; he'd already had proof that it was a sore subject for him.

Oz flinched, causing another game over. His eyes gingerly met Gilbert's, their irises filling with dread. Gilbert rubbed his shoulder comfortingly, trying to show him there was nothing to be afraid of. "If you do there's nothing to be upset about." He promised.

The blond stared at his lap and nodded, his face turning red. "Okay. Let's go." Gilbert said calmly, pushed away from his desk so they could get up. Gil led him to a bathroom that was a few hallways away with one other person in it, gently pushing Oz towards the stalls. The boy bashfully looked back at Gilbert as he picked the farthest one from the door and locked it.

Shortly after the two came in the person who had already been in there left, leaving the bathroom completely silent. For a few minutes Gilbert heard no indication that Oz had peed and he hadn't left the stall yet, causing him to begin to worry. He was about to ask if anything was wrong when he heard the toilet flush and Oz opened the stall and quickly washed his hands.

Seemingly done he walked over to Gilbert, tears in his eyes. Gilbert immediately hugged the boy, wondering why he was crying. "What's wrong?" He asked worriedly.

"I couldn't go." Oz admitted, severely embarrassed about his situation. He had to use the bathroom and petty badly, but he just couldn't. It embarrassed him even more to have to talk about it, preferring to keep to himself about it.

Beginning to worry that the boy was sick, Gil asked, "Does it hurt?"

Oz shook his head. It wasn't that it hurt, he just couldn't go; it was hard for him to explain.

"Do you want to try again later?" Gilbert offered, not knowing how to help the blonde's situation.

Oz nodded and Gil led him back to his office, offering for him to sit in his lap again. After a moment of hesitation he accepted and resumed his earlier position. This time Gilbert ignored the boy's squirming while he worked. He noticed the boy would occasionally huff or groan in discomfort, though he could tell he tried not to.

Gil set a timer and when it went off he led Oz back to the bathroom, only for him to be unable to pee again. When they returned to Gil's office this time Oz chose to sit at the table so he could cross his legs, too embarrassed and upset to do so while sitting on his servant's lap. He set his head down on the table, not wanting to look at Gil. This was a little too stressful for him, and looking at his friend only made it worse.

Becoming extremely worried, Gilbert called the local doctor's office, phone resting between his shoulder and head. On the other end a lady picked up, most likely a nurse. "Boston clinic, how may I help you?" She said kindly.

In a voice too low for Oz to hear, Gilbert said, "Yes, uh hello. My..." He paused, unsure what to call Oz. "...surrogate son is having trouble peeing right now. I would like to know if you guys had any advice or if I should bring him in for a visit...?" He finished, hoping they would be able to help.

The nurse asked, "Well how do you mean? Does it hurt? Is he able to pee at all?"

"No, he can't pee, and he's already tried a few times. It doesn't hurt."

The nurse paused, processing the information. "I recommend that you bring him in for a visit. We have a slot open for later tonight if that if okay with you." She offered kindly.

Gilbert smiled. "That would be great." He quickly gave her all the necessary information and then asked, "Is there anything I should do before the appointment?"

"Just keep trying. If it starts to hurt then go to the emergency room. Other than that, make sure he drinks a lot of water before coming in."

"Thank you so much."

"No problem."

Gil hung up and sighed as he glanced at the time. There was two hours until his shift ended, and then another hour before their 6 o'clock appointment. He looked over at Oz, who was doing his best not to bounce around in his chair. Gil frowned but went back to work, knowing there was nothing he could really do to help him out.

He found it increasingly difficult to focus on his paperwork and constantly looked up to check on Oz. He was so worried about the boy, he just couldn't bear the fact that he was suffering and he couldn't do anything to help. It also upset him to know that Oz refused to let his desperation show. He had to pee, and Gil knew it, but every time he went to shift his weight or press his thighs together he forced himself not to, giving Gil a cautious sideways glance.

It was odd, to Gil it seemed like Oz was almost afraid to let him know he had to pee. His shorter, shyer than usual replies gave away his hesitance to admit it. Gilbert wondered why it was upsetting him so much, and, having no idea why, decided to blame it on the fact that he was just really uncomfortable.

An hour and a half later Oz was crying silently with his legs crossed and was holding himself with one hand, the tablet lying forgotten on the table. He hid his face in his free hand, refusing to look at Gil. He didn't want to acknowledge the man's presence; he just wanted to be alone. He was actually grateful Gil wasn't frequently asking him if he was okay, it made ignoring him easier.

When it was about time for them to get going Gilbert brought Oz back to the bathroom to try and pee for the last time. To both of their relief he was able to go this time around. He washed his hands and followed Gil back to his office, his gait a lot more relaxed than before.

Twenty minutes later they were home and preparing to leave for the appointment. Oz wasn't happy about having to drink a lot of water before hand, but ended up downing 3 cups anyway. Soon they were sitting in the lobby of the clinic. Gilbert played with his tablet while they waited, Oz watching contently over his shoulder.

By the time they got called Oz was fidgeting again. They were brought to one of the examination rooms where a nurse took all the basic tests (blood pressure, heart beat, lungs, etc.) before leaving get the doctor. While the nurse was gone Oz crossed his legs and continued to squirm, his need slowly surmounting. He was still trying to stay as still as possible, hating knowing that someone else knew about his need. It was about 10 minutes later before the doctor arrived, her blond hair pulled back into a high bun. She smiled kindly as she sat down, reviewing the notes the nurse took.

"Okay, so this says that you're having trouble peeing. Is that right?" She asked, looking over at Oz, who looked to Gilbert.

"Yes, that's right." Gilbert answered for his master, knowing he wouldn't say it himself.

The doctor stood, smiling a little wider when she noticed the small potty dance Oz was doing. "You need to pee pretty bad huh?" She teased playfully, causing the boy to blush hard. He immediately stopped moving, upset that she'd mentioned it. Even Gil could tell it wasn't a very wise comment to make around the boy by his reaction.

Now serious, the doctor said, "Can you please lay down and uncross your legs for me?" Oz obeyed with some difficulty and instead laid with his legs pressed together, doing his best to stay still for her. "Okay, I have to poke you a little bit okay?" She warned. Oz's heart dropped, his nerves skyrocketing.

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He looked to Gilbert nervously, his eyes searching for reassurance. Gil stood and moved to the side of the examination table Oz was sitting on, holding his hand comfortingly. He squeezed the boy's hand, receiving a similar response.

Oz braced himself as the doctor firmly pressed on different parts of his stomach and asked if it hurt. He showed no signs of discomfort until she pressed directly over his bladder, which caused him to squeeze Gil's hand hard and whimper uncomfortably. Gilbert saw his other hand move towards his crotch, but he stopped and pulled it back up to his chest. When she let up the pressure he exhaled loudly, expressing his desperation.

The doctor gave Oz the okay to sit up and he sat with his legs crossed and one hand resting on his thigh, gripping the fabric of his shorts tightly. "So when did he start having trouble going to the bathroom today?" The doctor asked Gilbert as she logged into the small computer in the room.

"Um..I'd say around 2 or 3 in the afternoon." Gilbert guestimated since he hadn't been paying attention.

"Has he peed since then?" This question caused Oz's face to heat up and he squeezed Gil's hand again.

"Yes, about an hour ago. We were told to have him drink a lot before we came." Gilbert added on the end, knowing the doctor was going to ask regardless.

She nodded, typing away. "Any trouble before today?"

Gil looked at Oz while he thought, trying to think if anything would count. He watched as the boy's hand slid over to his crotch and squeezed hard. Oz hunched over slightly, trying to hide his hand from the doctor and Gil, his frown darkening. "Not that I know of." He said finally, unable to keep himself from frowning as well.

"Okay." Done questioning for the moment she wheeled over to a drawer and pulled out a urine sample cup before handing it to Gil. "I need a urine sample. I'll give you some time and go check on another patient." She stood and left the room, leaving the two alone.

Oz turned bright red as he looked at the cup, his gaze almost immediately turning down. Gilbert patted his shoulder, trying to offer some comfort. "Do you want help or...?" Gil offered, figuring he'd give the boy a choice. He wasn't sure if Oz even knew how to do it.

Oz sat silently for a moment, unsure which option to pick. Eventually he said, "N-no thanks." He eased himself off the table before following Gil to the bathroom a few doors down.

"I'll wait outside the door to our room okay? There's no rush." Gil said.

Oz nodded in acknowledgement as he shut and locked the bathroom door. It took him a few minutes but he managed to fill the cup halfway. He embarrassedly handed it to Gil before the two went back to their room to wait for the doctor.

When the doctor returned she resumed her spot at the computer and took the cup, thanking Gilbert politely. She sat silently for a minute, typing away. Finally, she looked away from the screen and asked, "Any trouble peeing this time?"

"Um, yeah a bit..." Oz replied, shifting nervously. He continuously stared at his lap, only occasionally glancing up at Gil for reassurance.

The doctor nodded, typing again. "Can you tell me what kind of trouble? Or do you not know?"

Oz bit his lip. "I froze."

"Okay." The doctor said, not asking for him to elaborate. In seemingly a random topic change, she asked, "How often do you feel nervous or dreadful?"

"All the time."

"Does anything specific make you feel like this?"

"N-no..."

She nodded, finishing typing something into the computer. "Well, you guys are almost set to go. But first, can I please speak with you?" She stood, her words meant for Gilbert.

"Of course." Gil stood as well, patting Oz's leg on his way out. The two moved around the corner to the hallway of Oz's room.

"Has Oz experienced any kind of recent trauma? Maybe a car accident?" The doctor questioned. The boy did not have a regular doctor or solid medical history, giving her next to nothing to go off of with his current problem.

Gil answered, "Yes, he was being abused by his father for the past few years."

"Alright. Oz seems to have a lot of generalized anxiety, though I'm not certain if it is to the point that it's a disorder. Problems urinating anywhere outside of the home is a common symptom for people with anxiety. There appears to be nothing wrong with him physically." She explained.

"That's good." Gilbert said, relieved. "Is there anything you can do about the anxiety?"

"There are a few ways to help him cope with it, but it will never truly go away. There are medicines that help to reduce anxiety and for other things like urinating problems you can do exposure training."

"What's that?" Gilbert wondered. Everything she was saying was alien to him, but he was doing his best to understand. If there was a way to help Oz then he would do it.

"It's when you gradually desensitize someone to something they are afraid of. In Oz's case, you would slowly get him used to being able to pee in a loud public bathroom by imitating the experience in a controlled environment." When she saw the look of complete confusion on Gilbert's face she added, "We have instruction booklets for the different types of training if you would like one."

"That would be great." Gil smiled. "Is there anything else?"

The doctor shook her head. "You are all set. I will get you a booklet and write out a prescription for some anti anxiety meds and you'll be set to go."

"Thank you so much." Gilbert said sincerely.

The doctor smiled. "Your welcome."

 **Ugggggg, I finally managed to finish! Hey guys, sorry it took so long, I'm really sorry. I had to do so much research for this chapter, and I am aware that I left some stuff out, but it was for the sake of keeping it from getting boring. No one wants to sit through a long discussion about ways to deal with anxiety, unless you suffer from it.**

 **But I hope you guys enjoyed, I will see if I can upload another chapter before I leave for a week (vacation). Please leave reviews or pm me about what you think, it is greatly appreciated!**

 **Until next time!**


	9. At Home

_**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Hey guys, back with another chapter! Thank you so much for being patient with me on this!**

 **So because I keep adding things to this did, it looks like it will end up being closer to 20 or 30 chapters now, though I could drag it on to like 100. I will keep you guys updated on that, I promise.**

 **WARNING: MENTIONS OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT.** **I will put a warning at the beginning and end of this section, and the rest of the chapter can be read as is. Events will not be recapped and are not essentially necessary to the plot. They are there to fill the reader in on why Oz does some things and why he has some of his fears.**

 **As always, enjoy!**

.o.O.o. (Next morning)

Oz woke up to a gentle pressure shaking his shoulder. He tiredly opened his eyes, seeing Gilbert smiling warmingly down at him, completely dressed and ready for work. Suddenly the events of the previous day flooded back into his mind and he remembered that Gil had arranged for one of his coworkers to watch him; Gil didn't want him to have to go through the distress again of not being able to use the bathroom.

Gilbert whispered, "Morning."

"Morning." Oz replied sleepily. He yawned and closed his eyes again, not ready to wake up. He was tired out from the anxiety he'd gone through the day before and as a result wanted to sleep in later than usual.

Gil smiled wider at the way he cuddled into the sheets. Oz was too cute. "I'm going to work. Break is downstairs if you need anything."

Oz faintly nodded in acknowledgement. "Bye." He mumbled, already half asleep again.

Gilbert ruffled the boy's hair and stood. "Bye. I'll see you later." He then left for work, being careful to not make too much noise on his way out.

Seconds after he left the room Oz was asleep again, and didn't wake up until a few minutes before noon. He went to the bathroom and changed out of his pajamas before descending the stairs to the living room.

"Good morning Oz! Did you sleep well?"

Oz froze at the bottom of the stairs, chastising himself for forgetting that Gil had someone come over to watch him. He slowly turned his head to look at Break, who was sitting in one of the reclining chairs with a neutral smile on his face. Oz immediately wanted to go back upstairs and hide in his room. At the same time didn't want to be rude and just walk away. He didn't have to chose what to do, however, as his autopilot kicked in and he answered, "Yeah."

He sat down on the couch as far away from the silver haired man as possible, resting his cheek and arm on the arm of the couch. He felt extremely uncomfortable in the company of Gil's friend as he had no idea what to expect from him. After a day hanging out with him, Sharon, and Gil, he could feel comfortable enough with him around, but they were alone now. And everyone was always different alone then when they are with others.

The blond sighed upsetly, wishing Break would just go away. He was freaky and always overly peppy to the point where it was uncalled for. Oz stared at the floor, cautiously keeping a close watch on Break in his peripheral vision. Like any adult, he was too intimidated to look at him directly, much less in the eye. He made Oz feel like there was a rabid animal about to pounce on him without warning.

He couldn't wait until Gilbert came back home and Break would leave.

Sensing the boy didn't want to talk, Break allowed a silence to fall over them, thick with tension. He only broke it to offer Oz something to eat and made him simple sandwiches for lunch. Despite his discomfort, Oz was completely bored; Gil didn't have many interesting things around the house to play with. At the same time he didn't mind all that much, he had grown used to having nothing but his mind to occupy himself.

 _-warning begins-_

 _Oz's mind began wandering back to different times in his past as it often did when it had nothing to preoccupy itself. Images of countless punishments, abusive moments, and lonely days flooded his thoughts. When he was first taken away he thought over these moments, attempting to find any way to appease his father and make the pain end. After only a few months, however, he gave up his quest and simply let the abuse happen, at a loss for how to stop it._

 _The first memory to come to him was one of his earlier ones; only a couple of years after he was taken away. His father would occasionally take him with himself on a shopping trip, claiming he didn't want him home by himself where he could break something. When Oz was brought on these trips he was strictly bound to the car; he was forced to sit in the vehicle while his father shopped, whether it was freezing cold or burning hot._

 _And when he said he couldn't leave the car,_ he couldn't leave the car. _If he was hungry, thirsty, freezing, suffering from heat exhaustion or really needed to pee, he had to sit and suffer through it. To make it worse, these trips could last hours._

 _By this time, Oz had already stopped whining about his discomfort; doing so only ended in him getting yelled at and abused more than usual. So he would sit quietly in the passenger side of the car, on his best behavior no matter what._

 _However, sometimes he broke his resolve when it became too much to bear. More times than he wished, he would end up bursting to pee at some point during the car rides. He would whine to his father constantly, dancing in his seat to try to hold it, though his father never listened and threatened to beat him if he didn't shut up. Soon after he would wet himself and be screamed at for it. He would sink into the seat in an attempt to make himself disappear, crying and shaking in fear._

 _Needing to use the bathroom in general had always seemed like a sin to his father. If he slipped away to the bathroom at the house while his father was around he was punished for it. He was forced to hold it in after showing any hints of desperation and was punished if he wet himself. It was a double standard he couldn't fulfill._

 _Every memory he could remember of his father was tainted with blood. He hated his father, but at the same time he needed him. Even if the man mistreated him, he kept him alive and gave him the human interaction he craved; even if it was painful. He would easily take the abuse over the weeks he'd spend alone, wondering if his father would ever come back, or if he had finally forgotten about his pathetic son._

 _Oz would normally lay on the floor of his room, cuddling his favorite black rabbit to his chest while tears ran down his cheeks before being absorbed by the soft fabric of his stuffed animal. His rabbit was his only company for most of those dark years, being the closest thing he had to a friend. It listened to his problems, his fear, his cries of despair. It was there when he went to sleep and when he woke up. It gave him hope that one day things would be different, that one day he would meet a person that could become his rabbit._

 _And he believed that he had found that person. Gil had listened when he cried. Gil wanted him to be happy._

 _Then why couldn't he open up to him like his rabbit?_

 _His stuffed animal knew about everything that happened. He trusted it to not judge him. He couldn't say the same for his friend. Even though he loved and trusted the man, it terrified him to dig up the past he had buried every time he cried to his rabbit. He feared his past and what others would think of it._

-End of warning-

His mind still dwelling on distant memories, Oz noticed a familiar heavy weight bearing down on his stomach. He sighed and ignored it, reverting back to a 'conceal don't feel' attitude. His eyes drifted to the clock on the wall, calculating in his mind how long he had until Gil came home.

2 hours left.

The boy frowned at the information, wishing the clock would turn faster. He closed his eyes in an attempt to sleep until Gil returned, failing horribly. He wished Break was gone, he was more of a nuisance than a help in his eyes. Break hadn't done anything more than sit quietly, which he was grateful for, but it still bothered the boy to have him around.

Having no other choice, Oz waited out the 2 hours, giving Break no indication of his growing discomfort. He felt like he was going to piss his pants any second, yet he sat in a position any other person would interpret as relaxed. His leg bounced impatiently, letting out some of his pent up stress.

Finally, there was a knock at the door and Break got up to answer it. As soon as he was out of the man's eyesight Oz pressed his legs together and squeezed himself, desperate beyond words. He could faintly hear Break and Gil talking at the door, but couldn't hear about what and quite frankly couldn't care less. He impatiently waited for Break to leave so he could pee.

As soon as the door shut Oz bolted for the bathroom, only making it a few steps before he couldn't hold it any longer. He froze where he stood, beginning to shake in fear as he felt the front of his shorts dampen. Tears welled up in his eyes and began to fall down his cheeks silently. He hung his head, afraid of how Gil would react when he noticed he was peeing his pants.

The reaction he expected was one of anger. He expected Gilbert to yell at him for it. He was yelling at himself internally; he could have prevented this, but he chose not to. It was his fault, and he was going to pay for it.

Gilbert, who was unaware of what was happening only a few feet away from himself, hung his hat on the coat rack and said, "So how was it being home today? Did Break cause you any problems? I assumed everything was alright when I didn't get a c-" Gilbert stopped mid sentence when he turned around, realizing Oz was trembling violently.

The raven haired man's face fell, pulling into a grimace of confusion. "Oz what's wrong?" He asked worriedly as he walked over to the boy, still clueless about why he was shaking. He reached out to touch him, causing the blond to flinch backward and retreat a few steps. It was then that Gilbert glanced down, noticing the pee running down the boy's shorts and legs.

"Oh, Oz we can fix this. It's alright." Gil said sympathetically, wondering why the boy wet himself. His words only made Oz shake harder. A single sob escaped the boy's lips, crushing Gilbert's heart.

Gil pulled the child into a hug, wincing slightly when he was shoved roughly in an attempt to put some distance between the two. Oz was normally timid, never doing something that could potentially hurt another person. Yet in his fear he didn't seem to care if Gil was hurt as he pushed him away.

Gilbert didnt loosen his embrace. Oz quickly gave in, whimpering fearfully at the touch. He wanted to be alone right now, not in someone else's arms; especially when he was certain he was getting that someone wet.

"Oz, relax." Gilbert coaxed, trying to help soothe the boy's fear. "There's nothing to be scared of."

"I'm sorry." Oz cried, his voice cracking in between his shaky, uneven breaths. He his his face in his surrogate father's chest, slightly muffling his words. "I didn't mean to!"

Gil rubbed Oz's back comfortingly. "I know you didn't."

Oz sobbed loudly into Gil's chest, his small hands clenching the fabric of the man's shirt tightly. Gil continued to hug the boy, letting him tire his anxiety out. There was nothing he could really do to console Oz; he had to realize on his own that there was nothing to be afraid of.

Oz cried until his eyes ran dry, though he didn't stop shaking. To Gil it felt like his entire body was vibrating. "Calm down." Gil said, his tone soft and gentle. He leaned down and kissed the boy's forehead. "Tomorrow is Friday, we can start your exposure training then."

 **Done! I'm sorry it's short, I expected it to be longer. Anyhow, I hope this brought some back story about some of Oz's feelings, actions, etc.**

 **This fic is becoming extremely long, and I sometimes need ideas to keep the plot moving that I can't come up with myself! I have a co author that normally helps me out with this, but if you guys would like to pitch in then you can pm me or send me a review with ideas and requests for this story! All will be greatly appreciated.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed once again, and I will see you guys in the next chapter!**


	10. Exposure Training

_**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Hey guys, back again with another chapter!**

 **This chapter is essentially a few sessions of exposure training (an exercise meant to lessen anxiety about an idea, thing or activity) and a little added on fluff at both ends. Quick thing about training I didn't mention in the story is that when you pee you're only supposed to go for a few seconds, so you can practice for an hour or two. No warnings.**

 **Also, a few more well know Pandora hearts characters will be appearing in the next few chapters. Not saying who though! Read to find out!**

 **As always, enjoy!**

Gil sat on the couch in his living room, silently flipping through the pages of the instruction booklet the doctor had given him. Oz was upstairs taking a shower, giving the man some time to go over how exposure training worked.

A session took about an hour or two, and several were needed to make any progress. Before a session Oz was supposed to drink a lot of water and wait an hour. Then, every three minutes he would attempt to use the bathroom with Gil standing as close as Oz was comfortable with, slowly moving closer over time. There were also several tips near the end explaining what to do if the exposure doesn't work or the progress regressed.

Oz finished showering and walked down the stairs, sitting down next to Gil. Gilbert put away the booklet and smiled warmingly at Oz. "Good morning." He greeted.

"Morning." Oz replied, a small smile lighting up his features.

"What would you like for breakfast?" Gil asked. He knew Oz wouldn't want to start right away, so he decided they could have breakfast and relax for a bit before they did.

Oz thought for a moment. "I don't know." He wasn't completely used to eating as much as he did right now, so he didn't exactly have a preference. To be honest, he wasn't even really hungry, but he knew Gil wouldn't let him get away without eating.

Gil got up and walked to the kitchen and began pulling out some ingredients. When he noticed Oz was watching him he said, "This is a secret. No watching." He made sure to keep his tone playful to show the boy he wasn't trying to be mean. Oz immediately understood and laid down on the couch, watching whatever was on the TV.

What Gilbert had in mind was a fairly simple thing to make, but he was almost certain Oz had never had it before. It was a thing that not many people would think to make in general. While he cooked he occasionally looked over his shoulder to make sure Oz wasn't watching, always finding his attention on the TV.

Ten minutes later, Gil was finished and set two plates down on the dining table. He called Oz's name to get his attention and the boy wandered over to see what his surrogate father had made. It was essentially scrambled egg tacos with a bunch of different seasonings along with some cut up sausage.

Gil was right; Oz had never had this before, but he thought it was great. The raven haired man laughed a little at the boy's small occasional coughs in response to the spice of the seasonings. He couldn't help but smile at how cute Oz was. The boy seemed to have a personality that was fairly childish despite his age.

After they finished eating Gil quickly washed all the dishes and handed Oz a glass of water. "Here, you're suppose to drink a lot before we start." Oz sighed, understanding what he meant. He obediently downed the glass and handed it back to Gil, who refilled it two more times.

By the third cup Oz was groaning in discomfort: he really didn't want to do this, but at the same time he did. It was going to be a major pain and seriously awkward and uncomfortable, but he absolutely hated the physical pain his anxiety brought him. In the end, he knew he had to do the training, for Gil if he couldn't do it for himself.

Oz sat down on the couch again and waited while Gil cleaned up the kitchen. When the man was done he and Oz watched a few episodes of Tom and Jerry to pass the time. After an hour Gil shut the TV off and looked to Oz, who had begun to squirm in his seat.

"Ready?" He asked, standing and offering the boy a hand.

Oz sighed heavily. "Not really." He said honestly, taking the hand and pulling himself to his feet.

The two made their way to the stairs, and only a few steps up Oz turned around and asked shyly, "Can you wait here?" His face lighting up like a Christmas tree in his embarrassment and he refused to look at his surrogate father.

Gil smiled in understanding, his eyes shining with sympathy. "Of course." He sat down on the fifth from the bottom step to show the boy he wouldn't follow him. Oz began to make his way to the second floor, occasionally looking over his shoulder anxiously.

Once the boy was out of sight and ear shot Gil sighed. This process was going to take a little longer than he expected based off of the fear on the child's face and where he was to start out. It saddened him to know that such a simple and natural thing could scare the blond to the point that it caused him a great deal of pain on what he could only assume was a daily basis. If he was this afraid to use the bathroom now, with a trusted friend around, he could only imagine what it was like when he was with his _father_ for all those years.

Gil waited patiently for Oz, never moving from the spot the boy had designated for him. It took several minutes, but eventually Oz descended the stairs again. The two moved back to the couch for a short break, Oz sitting in Gil's lap.

Oz sat tensely, too highly strung to relax. Gil gently wrapped his arms around the boy's waist and pulled him into a reclined position, causing the boy to whimper and struggle out of his grasp. "Can you please not do that?" Oz sniffed. Even though he was gentle, Gilbert had been pressing on his bladder; which made him need to pee more, and by extension more anxious.

Gil frowned. "I'm sorry." He said sincerely, upset at how stressed the boy was. It hurt him to see him have to go through this, but he needed to if he was to save himself from far worse situations in the future.

The three minutes were up, and Oz trudged to the bathroom again, Gil one step closer than before. After just about the same amount of time as the first attempt, they were on the couch again in the same position as before. For the next hour they bounced between the stairs and the couch. At first the training only made Oz more anxious, but about halfway through he began to calm down.

Soon the hour was up. Oz was just happy it was over and Gil was proud of the progress he had made. He gave the boy a hug and ruffled his hair, feeling the boy's quick heartbeat thump against his chest, competing with his own, slower rhythm.

Hoping to cheer Oz up a bit, Gilbert suggested, "How about we go get some ice cream?"

Oz's eyes lit up at the thought and he nodded enthusiastically. Gil smiled at his child-like happiness and brought him to a simple ice cream parlor not too far from his house. They had both gotten the same amount of ice cream, but Oz took significantly longer to finish his then Gil did, leaving the man to his thoughts while he waited.

Suddenly a thought passed his mind that he had been meaning to ask Oz about. He wasn't sure if he was up for it with his whole bathroom issue but he figured he'd ask anyway. "Hey Oz." He began, stifling a laugh as the blond looked up at him, spoon hanging comically from his mouth.

"Hmm?" He mumbled, showing he was paying attention.

"Well, every year about this time I go camping with a few younger friends. I know it might be a little too early to ask, but would you want to go? We don't have to, but I thought I would ask." Gil explained, watching the child's expression closely.

Oz was quiet for a moment. "Who else comes?" He asked.

Gil smiled a bit, happy he didn't shut down the idea immediately. "It would be me, you, and about 3 or 4 teenagers a year or two older than you. If I'm not mistaken they go to the school you'll be going to come September."

Oz nodded slowly. "What's camping like?"

"You go to a place where you can relax and have fun for a week. Where we go there's a pool, a field, and a bunch of different events every day."

"Oh..." Oz said, looking between Gilbert and his ice cream. "Sounds like fun."

Gilbert smiled wider. "It really is."

There was a pause. "I'll go." Oz said.

"Okay then. Tomorrow we can go over their house to figure out a week. We'll have to work extra hard on your training though so we don't have any repeats of the last few days." Gilbert said, adding on the last part even though he knew the blond just wished he would forget about the whole thing.

"Okayyy..." Oz whined, blushing at the mention of his episodes. Now finished with his ice cream he laid his head down on the table a frown ghosting over his lips.

Gilbert ruffled the boy's hair. "Come on, let's go home."

 **All done! Hope you guys enjoyed, I had to stop writing this chapter for a few days to get over some of the topics I'm bringing in by giving Oz all these problems. I feel what you guys feel when I write this stuff, and it makes writing hard sometimes.**

 **Anyways, I thank you guys for continuing to read and I will see you in the next chapter!**


	11. The Trio

_**Disclaimer:I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Hey guys, I'm back for another chapter! Wow, I can't believe how long this is becoming!**

 **I hope you guys are enjoying so far. This chapter has no warnings. Some cute little parental moments throughout the chapter. Like I promised, several new characters are coming in this chapter!**

 **And as always, enjoy!**

After lunch the next day, Oz and Gilbert were at Gilbert's friend's house. He had arranged for them to meet at Reim's; one of his co workers that occasionally came along on the yearly camping trip. Much to Oz's dissatisfaction Gil had fussed over him for a while before they had left. Are you sure you want to go? Are you ready? Did you use the bathroom?

Yes Gil. Yes.

The two walked up to the front door, knocking and waiting patiently for someone to answer the door. A faint yell or two was heard from inside causing Oz to cringe internally before the door opened. "Hello." A short haired brunette greeted with a kind smile.

Gil returned the smile. "Hello Reim." He said, peering into the living room. "How have the others been?"

Reim sighed, pushing up his glasses. "Their usual selves." He said as he allowed the two inside.

Sitting on the living room couch was three teenagers, all about the age of 16. The first was a blond haired blue eyed boy with an air of attitude resting over him. The second was also a boy, this time with black hair and big round glasses that made it impossible to see his eyes. Both of them paid the two no mind, the blond yelling angrily at the black haired boy, who was reading and ignoring him. The third was a black haired girl with violet eyes, who stared intently at Oz. Her unwavering gaze unnerved him, causing him to hide behind Gil to get away from it.

Reim walked into the room as well, shutting the boys up instantly. They all looked over to Gil and Oz, though the two boys still had not realized Oz was there, given how well he was concealed behind the adult. "Hey Gil! How've ya been?" The blonde one asked, standing to shake the man's hand.

Gilbert smiled. "I'm fine Elliot. How are you and Leo?" He asked, looking over to the other boy. He mumbled a noise akin to a greeting, never looking away from his book.

Finally, Elliot had noticed the cowering boy behind his friend. "Who's this shrimp?" He asked, bending around Gilbert to look at Oz.

Oz pressed farther into his guardian, attempting to avoid his current situation. Gil managed to pull him at least partially out from behind himself and nudged him gently to say hello. Oz gulped and without breaking his gaze on the floor mumbled, "Hi."

Elliot tilted his head to the side as he thought, a smirk coming over his face. "Don't speak much huh?" Oz didn't have anything to say to his statement and instead looked up at Gil for guidance. The man smiled sympathetically at the boy and ruffled his hair.

"He's a little shy." Gil said simply.

"Not so much as shy as a wimp." Oz flinched and looked over to the girl, who continued to watch him, gaze turning cold.

"Alice, don't be rude!" Reim chastised, flustered by her manners.

Gil frowned. "Shut up, stupid rabbit." He growled, irritated. Oz's eyes widened, shocked by his friend's sudden change in attitude.

The girl held her ground. "Or what seaweed head?" She shot back.

The two engaged in a heated argument as Oz watched, half shocked and half amused. Something about Gil's flustered face was funny to him. He back up to Reim, working up the courage to speak up. To grab the man's attention he pulled lightly at his shirt and asked, "Why did Gil call her a 'stupid rabbit'?"

Reim looked down and answered, "'Black Rabbit' is the name she is most commonly known by, mostly because she reminds people of a deadly beast from folk tales. Stupid rabbit is a title she gained from the fact that she isn't very bright."

Oz nodded and looked at Alice, observing her. Her tone was angry yet her face remained cool and collected (with the exception of her furrowed brow). Throughout the argument she remained in a relaxed reclined position, acting as if this was an everyday occurrence.

It took a few minutes, but the two had eventually stopped arguing. Gil redirected his attention to Oz to distract himself from his annoyance towards her. He guided the boy to an empty chair and sat in another one nearby, ready to discuss the camping trip.

"So, about the camping trip, are you guys going to bring anyone else along?" The raven haired man asked.

The three replied in a chorus of 'no's. The last time they had brought other friends camping it ended in some horrifying events that none of them wanted to relive.

Resting his head on a fist, Elliot asked, "When are we even going? Me and Leo are leaving for home in two weeks."

"Leo and I." Leo calmly correctly, nose still in his book.

Elliot frowned. "Shut up, you know what I meant."

"Of course I did. You need to learn proper grammar though."

"What the hell of a difference does it make?!" Elliot yelled angrily.

His loud voice made Oz jump in fear. The anger reminded him of all the times he had been screamed at over the years, almost immediately bringing anxious tears to his eyes. He shrank down a bit in his seat and sniffed, looking down at his lap distantly. Gilbert heard him sniff and looked his way, eyes saddening at his distress. He leaned over and patted the boy's leg, hoping to ease his fear a bit.

The two boys on the couch began another spat, their voices rising the longer they continued. Oz covered his ears to block out the noise once it began to hurt his ears. Alice leaned over and slapped Elliot across the cheek, effectively shutting him up. It took him a few seconds to register what happened, his face completely blank.

"What was that for?!" Elliot yelled, shocked that she had hit him.

"You're hurting my ears and getting annoying. Learn to shut up and take a hint." Alice stated, staring at him challengingly.

"How dare you!"

"Elliot stop it!" Reim shouted. He'd had enough of the arguing. "Stop fighting or you can sleep in the basement tonight." Much to his delight, his remark made the teen fall silent, still fuming to himself.

"To answer your question, I was thinking next Monday. That will give us a full week before you two have to leave." Gilbert said, filling in the quiet that had begun to settle.

"Works for me." Leo said as he flipped a page.

"Me too." Alice agreed, bored out of her mind.

Gilbert smiled, surprised at how fast they had agreed on when to go camping. He could have had this conversation over the phone if he knew it would be this easy. Despite this he sighed, still worrying about Oz's exposure training; he hoped it would be long enough to get him to a point they could work with.

Reim insisted that they stay for a bit, offering to have them over for dinner. Gil was happy to stay awhile but politely turned down dinner; staying five or more hours until then would mean Oz wouldn't be able to use the bathroom, and he didn't want to put the boy through the discomfort again.

Gil and Reim talked while the three on the couch did their own thing, leaving Oz to switch from watching his guardian to the other teens. If he was being honest, Elliot and Alice terrified him. They were just so testy and ready to fight. Leo wasn't as bad, but that was mostly because he was in his own little world with his books. Whatever Gil and Reim were talking about was boring to him as well, so he never focused on them for too long.

Out of the three on the couch, Oz noticed Alice was the only one that would occasionally look his way or show any interest in him at all. Every time her gaze held the same emotionless feeling, making him feel like a zombie was staring at him, wondering what he was.

In the end, Gil and Oz stayed for an hour or two before they went back home. Gil brought Oz out to eat at one of his favorite restaurants as a treat. They talked about random things the whole time, their conversations continuing through the ride back home. By the time they got home both were fairly tired, so they relaxed on the couch and watched a movie. Halfway through they were both fast asleep, cuddling underneath a blanket.

 **Done! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**

 **I just had to put in the little bit of sass in the beginning because of how Oz is. I just couldn't see him not doing it. Also, I hope I kept Elliot and Leo in character, I've never really written anything with those two before now.**

 **Until next time!**


	12. Day One

_**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **hey guys, back with another chapter! Sorry for the wait, I had to start over because of the way everything seemed rushed in the other version. Things are going to start getting happier again, which I am so excited about!**

 **No warnings for this chapter and a little fluff to go around.**

 **And as always, enjoy!**

.o.O.o.

"Oz!" Gilbert called, trying to grab the boy's attention. The blond, who had been watching his guardian closely from where he sat, stood and walked over to him. He moved to a place where Gil could see him, silently saying he was listening. "Can you grab me three bricks from the back of Reim's truck?" He asked without looking up.

Oz nodded and quickly grabbed what he was asked to and brought it to Gil. The man thanked him and placed the bricks underneath the hitch to the camper he was currently grounding. After unhitching his own car from the camper Gil walked around the camper, placing more bricks and wheel stoppers (I have no idea what they're called) wherever needed. Eventually the camper was completely secured and level.

Once Gil was done with that task he dismissed Oz, allowing the boy to sit back down on the picnic table on their campsite. He along with Alice, Elliot and Leo were sitting and watching Reim and Gilbert set up the two campsites they had picked out for the trip; the four only standing to help when they were called upon to help out.

On Gil's site there was the camper and several tables; his was going to be the site they hung around on. Several lawn chairs rested against the side of the camper behind one of the tables, all underneath the large awning connected to the camper. On Reim's site there were 3 tents; two one person tents and one two person tent. Protecting each from potential rain was a canopy. The picnic table that had been on his site was moved to Gilbert's; both to make room for the tents and to have another table to use for games or food at Gil's.

After the six had gotten to the grounds, it took them two hours to set everything up. Once they were done they piled into the camper to take a break from the heat of the day. Inside the camper was a kitchenette, a set of bunk beds, a 'master' bedroom, a couch, table and bathroom. Lining the ceiling and walls of it were an array of cabinets and shelves for storage purposes.

Elliot and Leo collapsed onto the bottom bunk bed, Alice and Reim sat at the table and Oz and Gilbert chose the couch. Elliot sighed loudly. "It's so hot outside!" He complained, thankful for the AC inside the camper.

Reim and Gilbert chuckled. "You didn't even do much." Gilbert pointed out.

"Doesn't matter. It's still hot."

Reim rolled his eyes. "Anyway, how are we sleeping tonight?" He asked. On each camping trip everyone shifted where they slept to make it fair. Some nights they would sleep in the camper, some nights in the tents. They always figured it out early on to stop any fighting over the issue, though it rarely worked.

Elliot was the first to speak up. "Whenever I'm sleeping in the camper I call the bed, not a bunk."

"I'll take a tent." Alice said. "It's colder outside at night."

Reim nodded in agreement. "I'll take a tent too."

Gil glanced down at Oz, who was staring into space, but obviously listening to the conversation. Over the last week he had learned at while Oz seemed to space out if he wasn't concentrating on something, he never stopped paying attention to his surroundings. "Can Oz and I take the camper for tonight?"

"I don't care." Leo inputted, his nose deep inside a book. "I'll go wherever Elliot is."

"I _guess_ you can have the camper." Elliot said.

Gil smirked. "You guess? Remember, my camper, my rules. If I wanted to I could make all of you sleep in the tents the whole trip." He pointed out playfully, knowing no one took his words seriously. He wasn't that mean.

Elliot waved a hand at the man dismissively. "Yeah yeah."

They sat for a few moments in a comfortable silence, happily doing nothing. Gil was the first to break the silence as he stood and turned to Oz. "Let's go take a walk, I can show you around the grounds." He said, holding a hand out to Oz.

The boy took the hand and followed his guardian outside, walking idly beside him and slightly behind. His grip didn't loosen on Gil's hand, and Gil's didn't loosen on his. First Gilbert brought Oz over to the campground bathrooms, which were the closest to the sites they were on. He explained how the showers worked and which door went where, making sure the boy understood everything before moving on.

Next was the plaza. It was a simple area laid out with multiple wooden tables and a modest elevated stage. The plaza was where a lot of events took place like public concerts, movie nights, bingo, ect. Down the road from there was a pool, a large open field and a 'pond'. The pool was fenced in and surrounded by beach chairs and was almost always occupied by several people. The field was just that, a field. It extended for at least 500 yards (457.2 meters) past the pool and had a baseball diamond on one end. The pond was a man made water hole with a fountain in the middle and sand surrounding it; it wasn't much to look at.

Other than that, there wasn't much on the camping grounds. However, there were several thing such as mini golf course and an arcade that they visited every trip that were in the area. Oz listened intently, following calmly behind Gilbert as he observed the world around him. He seemed excited about the idea of camping, which had Gil overjoyed. He hoped he could keep it that way.

Oz had become much more calm and relaxed over the last week, as a result of his anxiety medication and exposure training. He had begun to smile more and more and was starting to be less shy around others. He also made great progress in exposure training and could now use a public restroom with minor difficulty.

Gil was so proud of him for coming so far in such a small amount of time. He'd been so worried about the boy that he was starting to think he'd have to postpone the trip. What if Oz wouldn't be able to use the bathroom by the time they left? What if he something went wrong and he regressed? Oz was the first and last thing in his mind. He was afraid to do something wrong and ruin the relationship he was kindling with the blond. Because he knew if he screwed up Oz might never trust him again. He kept a happy face on though, to keep Oz happy. Don't get him wrong, he was happy too, just worried for Oz.

Now done with their walk, Oz and Gil headed back to the campsite where the rest of the group was laying around on a chair or table in the sun. They joined them, pulling out a two person lawn chair and placing it in the shade. Gil ducked inside the camper to grab a book before sitting down next to Oz.

As Gil read Oz leaned into his side, staring at the book over his shoulder. Whether Oz could actually read the book, Gil didn't know, but he did know that the boy could contently watch the pages turn for hours on end. After a while he dozed off, holding Gilbert's left arm in his lap and using his shoulder as a pillow.

Another thing Gilbert had learned over the past week was that Oz was a major cuddler. He was always snuggling up to him when he had the chance, and almost always feel asleep on him. Gil found it absolutely adorable, remembering that the boy had loved cuddling with Gil when he was younger. He was happy Oz still enjoyed it after 9 years of being unable to.

Soon the sun began to lower, not quite ready to set yet. Reim decided to grill some hamburgers and hotdogs for dinner, which everyone loved. After dinner they returned to doing nothing, content with just relaxing for the rest of the day. A few minutes after they ate Gil brought Oz to the bathroom, happy to know he could go just fine.

The first day was an unqualified success. Before long the sun was low in the sky and it was almost night. They started up a fire in the fire pit provided by the grounds, circling the stones with chairs to watch the flames in the darkness.

Oz, who was used to going to sleep fairly early, was the first to pass out and not too soon after the fire started. He resumed a position similar to the one earlier, now leaning into his chair and not Gil's shoulder. Gil smiled fondly at him while he slept, mesmerized by his relaxed expression. He could have sworn he saw the blond smiling in his sleep.

Around ten o'clock Gil decided to turn in, waking Oz up so he could too. They made one last bathroom run, brushed their teeth and changed into their pajamas before climbing into bed; Gil in the bedroom and Oz on the bottom bunk. That didn't last very long though, as within a few minutes Oz climbed in next to Gil, snuggling up to his guardian's side.

Gil flipped onto his side and fixed their position so they were spooning. He had one arm draped over Oz's stomach and Oz held Gil's hand in his, occasionally squeezing his fingers gently or kneading at his palm, his actions mirroring someone playing with a stress ball. The ministrations slowly came to a stop as Oz drifted off to sleep again, his grip loosening.

Gil smiled happily. "Goodnight Oz."

 **All done! I like how this came out so much better than the other version. What do you guys think? Please leave me a review so I know what you think.**

 **They are going to start doing activities next chapter, and will do one or two a chapter for the camping trip. I will also be touching upon some things that haven't been brought up yet starting next chapter.**

 **This is getting so long! Its gonna be at least 30 chapters now~ oh I'm sweating just thinking about the work. Anyway, I thank you guys for your patience and for reading and I hope that you follow this story until its end.**

 **Until next time!**


	13. Standing in Uncertainty

_**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter! I thank you so much for reading up until now and I'm sorry for the wait.**

 **There are no warnings for this chapter.**

 **As always, enjoy!**

.o.O.o.

When Oz woke up the next morning the first thing he noticed was that the blanket was missing. He half heartedly swept a hand across the sheets, attempting to find it vainly. A faint whisper came from above him, but he couldn't decipher the voice. He rolled over, causing the voice to stop.

It continued a few seconds later, more loudly this time. Something poked him in the forehead, startling him. He forced his eyes open to see what had touched him, coming face to face with Elliot. The teen offered a toothy grin, not two inches away from the blond's face.

After the couple of seconds it took Oz to register what was happening he threw himself against the headboard of the bed, startled more than scared. He grabbed his chest with one hand, eyes widening in shock. Elliot snickered, having gotten a funny response out of the tired boy. He climbed off of the bed and walked away.

"He's awake." Elliot said. A creaking sound followed after his voice, indicating he sat down.

Gil sighed. "Did you have to scare him awake?"

"Of course." Oz could hear the smirk in his words.

The blond reluctantly climbed out of bed and walked over to Gil, gazing up tiredly at the man. Gil met his eyes with a warming smile and a small laugh. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?" He asked.

Oz glanced over to Elliot, who still wore a smug smirk before making a sleepy noise resembling a yes. He sat down at the empty table, resting his head in his arms and watching Gil cook breakfast. As he finished making food Elliot would take the finished products outside where everyone else was sitting, having been awake for a while now.

When everyone outside had gotten something to eat Elliot grabbed a plate for himself and headed outside, leaving Gilbert and Oz alone in the camper. Gil turned everything off and brought two plates of eggs and sausage to the table, handing one to Oz.

"Sorry Elliot was being a little rough. He wanted to wake you up because you were sleeping for a long time." Gil apologized.

Oz smiled. "It's okay." He said.

They ate in silence, Oz still waking up and wanting quiet and Gil enjoying the peace of being away from the loudmouths he called friends. He was really shocked them coming in and out of the camper hadn't woken the boy up. When they finished eating Oz got dressed and Gil cleaned up the kitchenette. After finishing their respective tasks they joined the others outside.

Alice was chilling in the corner by herself, drifting in and out of light sleep in the sun. Elliot and Leo were talking about what they wanted to do that day, Leo reading the whole while of course. Reim was also reading a book at the picnic tables, leaning over the top and using it as a rest for his arms. Gil sat down across from Reim and Oz followed.

Upon seeing his friend Reim set down his book and smiled. "Morning." He greeted.

Gil returned the gesture. "Morning. Planning on doing anything today?"

Reim shook his head. "Not really. I might go swimming later but I'm just going to relax on the sites."

Gil looked over at Oz. "Would you want to go swimming later?" He asked.

Oz glanced down at his lap, showing a hint of unease. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the stress ball Gil had made him a few days ago. After Gil noticed that Oz tended to fidget with his hands when he got nervous he made him a stress ball that turned colors when it was squeezed (infectious disease stress balls). He didn't always play with it when he got nervous though, and it quickly became something he almost always had in his hand.

"Sure." He said finally. The blond looked up and offered a small smile, giving Reim no indication of how he was feeling. This made Gilbert frown, however, wondering why such a simple question was stressing him out.

Gil checked his watch. "Well, it's 9 right now; if we went now next to no one would be there." He looked back to Oz. "Do you want to go now?" Gil figured that it would be best if they went at a time when only they were around. Oz would be less stressed and they could have some bonding time.

"Sure." Oz replied again.

Gil gave a small nod before going back inside the camper, motioning for Oz to come with him. Once they were inside Gil sat down on the bed, pulling Oz down with him. "Oz, do you really want to go swimming? Don't feel pressured to, if you don't want to I won't force you." Gil said worriedly.

Oz shook his head. "I'm fine with going. It's just that I've never been swimming…" The blond explained, his voice trailing off as if he was unsure to continue.

After a small moment of silence he spoke up again. "I don't like water all that much. I'm afraid I'll drown."

"I promise you won't drown." Gil assured. "I can teach you to swim, or we can just play around in the shallow end."

"Okay." Oz said with a small smile.

Gil returned the smile. He got off the bed and pulled a hidden drawer underneath it outwards. He rummaged around for a moment before pulling out a pair of white and red swimming trunks. Holding them up to Oz he said, "I know you don't own a swimsuit, so try these on. I think they'll fit."

Oz changed into the shorts in the bathroom. After a quick look over Gil was happy with the way they fit and changed into his own [black] swimming trunks. Gilbert grabbed two beach towels and his sunglasses before they left for the pool.

Just like Gil had said, no one was at the pool when they arrived. He set their stuff down on a chair before walking down the steps into the shallow end of the pool-the water only coming up to his waist. He turned to look at Oz, who was holding onto the railing at the top of the steps, staring at the water in contempt. Gil held a hand out to him and urged, "Come here, the water feels nice."

After one last moment of hesitation Oz took his guardian's hand and slowly stepped into the pool, the water only coming up to his ribs. He stood close to Gil, running the fingers of his free hand through the water. For the first time in awhile his gaze traveled upwards, searching Gil's eyes for reassurance.

Gil gently squeezed his hand, offering a smile to reassure him. They stood idly for a few minutes while Oz got used to being inside the pool. He eventually moved back to the steps and sat down on the lowest one, allowing the water up to his chest. Gil sat down next to him, enjoying the cooling effect of the pool.

Oz absentmindedly played with the water, letting it run through his fingers and over his arms. Gil noticed him relax as he realized the pool was harmless and smiled subconsciously. When he felt the boy was ready he asked, "Do you want to try the deep end?"

"How deep is it?" Oz questioned, a hint of worry beginning to show again.

"It's only 4 and a half feet." It didn't seem that deep at all to him, but it was a community pool and had to be safe for the majority of people.

Oz gave a small nod and allowed himself to be led to the buoys separating the shallow and the deep ends. Gil climbed underneath the connecting rope, holding it up to let Oz follow. He then wadded into the deeper water until it rose to his collarbone.

"This is as deep as it gets. I'm touching the bottom." Gil said, bouncing up and down a few times to prove his point. Oz watched from the ledge intently, holding onto the edge of the pool with one hand. Gil moved back to the boy and asked, "Wanna try?," holding his arms out expectantly.

Oz hesitantly let go of the edge of the pool and instead placed his hands on Gil's shoulders. The raven haired man gently lifted the boy under his arms, bringing him to the center of the deep end. Like Gil had expected, Oz immediately clung to his neck, momentarily sinking into a fit of panic when he couldn't feel the bottom.

Gil held onto him securely, keeping his throat and head above the surface of the water while he waited for him to calm down. Oz relatively quickly came back to his senses, though he refused to let go of Gil. With a chuckle Gil said, "You're almost at the bottom."

Oz shot him a look of disbelief. Never letting go, Gil leaned down, slowly letting Oz into the water until he was standing on his own. When he was standing the water came up to Oz's chin. This unnerved the boy, causing him to stand on his toes to give him another few inches of height.

Gil smiled proudly as he watched Oz navigate the pool by himself, completely calm now that he knew he could hold himself above the water's surface. They both agreed that Oz could learn to swim another day, and instead floated around lazily until lunch.

 **All done! This chapter took longer than expected. I had an accident with my tablet and so I'm using someone else's during the night to continue writing until I get a new one.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed, I added in some much needed fluff. More fluff coming in next chapter along with a bit more back story on Oz's part. I'm still deciding if I'm going to include content requiring a warning or not. Either way, I will try to post as soon as possible.**

 **Until next time!**


	14. Hidden in the Dark

_**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Hey guys, back with another chapter! Sorry for the wait!**

 **No warnings at the moment for this chapter.**

 **And as always, enjoy!**

Later that night, it was Oz's and Gilbert's turn to sleep outside in one of the tents. They had chosen the two person tent so they could cuddle. It wasn't like Gil would settle for anything else; he didn't want Oz to be alone for the night, even if they were close enough to have a conversation through the tents. After the campfire everyone left to get ready for bed, going to their designated places for the night.

Oz and Gil laid in their tent with a single lamp lighting the small space. Oz rested his forehead against Gil's chest with his arms in between him and Gil and Gil had his arms wrapped around Oz, holding him close. They laid contently together while they waited for sleep to take them, Gil watching the flickering flight of the lamp bounce off the tent walls.

Once the sun had begun going down that day, Oz had been getting fairly paranoid. Gil could only guess he was stressing about sleeping in a tent; but he did not know for what reason. Was he afraid for the simple fact it was outside? Was he nervous because it was something new to him?

In the end, neither of these seemed to be the answer. When they had laid down with the lamp on, Oz seemed to be fine and showed no sign of distress. He quickly fell asleep in Gil's arms, bringing a smile to the man's face. Gil turned off the lamp and closed his eyes, letting the darkness of the night lull him to sleep.

His peace was fairly short lived, however. What felt like seconds after he had fallen asleep he was being woken up again. At first he thought morning had come too soon and growled under his breath in exhaustion; quickly realizing that a touch hadn't woken him up, but a sound. His tired brain working as fast as it possibly could, Gil recognized the noise as Oz's voice.

Instantly awake and alert, Gil rolled over a bit, trying to figure out where Oz was. The tent didn't have too much space in it for him to go, but the dark made it seem bigger than it was. He almost called the boy's name out loud, but decided against it when he remembered how close they were to the others. He didn't want to wake anyone up and have them ask questions.

Gil's hand finally landed on Oz's quaking chest, causing him to breath a sigh of relief. Oz jumped at the touch and seemed to back away slightly but Gil was unsure because of the darkness surrounding them. He pulled the boy close to himself, hearing him let out a low and pained whimper. Confused he grabbed a flashlight and turned it on, hoping it wouldn't be enough light to wake up Alice or Reim. Doing so would only make whatever situation Oz was dealing with worse. The light from the flashlight illuminated Oz's tear stained face, both breaking Gil's heart and confusing him thoroughly. Why was he crying?

Gil clicked the flashlight off, earning another cry of distress from Oz. He felt the boy cling to him tightly, burying his face in his guardian's chest as he cried. Gil could feel the way his body trembled and his heart raced, sensations he hadn't witnessed in awhile. He caressed the back of the blonde's head, trying to offer what comfort he could.

"Oz, what's wrong?" Gil questioned worriedly, trying to get an answer out of the boy before he broke down into a hysterical sobbing fit. As much as he wanted to help him, Gilbert's number one priority was not waking the others up. That would only succeed in worsening the situation. In order to accomplish that goal, however, he had to figure out how to quiet Oz down, and fast.

Oz attempted to reply to his guardian, but couldn't find the ability to speak over the cries pouring out of his mouth. He became increasingly frantic every time he failed to speak until he was practically sobbing. His voice sounded loud in the quiet night, even more so to Gil because they were right next to each other.

Gil hushed him with a kind and gentle voice, realizing there was no way they hadn't woken at least one person up. A rustling from their right indicated Reim was awake. Gil groaned internally and prayed he wouldn't ask questions in the morning. That was the last thing he needed right now.

Oz's crying got continually louder and more frantic, leaving him breathless. His chest heaved as he attempted to suck in enough air in between cries. He tried to hide from some phantom presence by pressing himself farther into Gil, confusing the man even more. His reaction to whatever he was afraid of reminded Gil of a child who had just seen a horror movie for the first time and was being haunted by the terrifying images.

"Oz, calm down. Relax." Gil urged, still completely in the dark as to why he was having a seemingly random panic attack in the middle of the night. He felt like he was missing something really important, and it was right in front of his face. Oz had been doing a lot better with his anxiety, and hadn't had a complete meltdown in a week or two.

When Gil noticed Oz's cries begin to become even louder his resolve broke and he turned on the lamp, knowing it didn't make a difference at that point. As soon as the light went on Oz started to calm down, though he never detached himself from Gil's side. He pulled away just long enough to glance around, looking for something, then going back to hiding. Gil felt a twinge of annoyance at himself and nothing at all at the same time.

If Oz seriously had a phobia of the dark that he was completely unaware of he was going to slap himself silly. How do you not notice something like that, especially when you're watching over a child with anxiety issues? He immediately was angry at himself for not thinking to ask if Oz was afraid of the dark before bringing him on a trip where he slept in the pitch black for the majority of the time.

Luckily, Oz soon quieted down but continued to shake uncontrollably. Still too shaken up to find words, the boy decided to not speak, sensing Gil understood why he was afraid without being told. He avoided his guardian's eyes, terrified of what emotions may lie in them. He pressed into Gil harder, beginning to shiver from the coolness of the night.

Gil wrapped him in the blanket they were sharing and leaned heavily on him, lending some of his own body heat to the shivering boy. They laid so that Gil's body was like a barrier between Oz and the darkness of the night, almost lying completely on top of him. Oz found the position comforting and warm, helping to bring him down from the anxiety.

After he was comfortable again Oz stopped shaking. His eyes timidly met Gil's, communicating a silent message that Gil understood and returned mutually. They didn't have to put their conversation into words to understand its meaning. The reasons behind Oz's fear were things he couldn't bring to the light of day. Under no circumstances was Gilbert permitted to attempt to dig them out of their stone grave. And neither of them was to ever explain the reason why, no matter what, their light remained on while they slept.

 **Done! Yay, I finished writing two chapters in one night! I hope you guys liked it.**

 **In the end I decided that the backstory on this fear was better kept under wraps, and now you guys are free to speculate what could possibly cause Oz that much grief. This was shorter than I wanted, but sometimes less is more.**


	15. Knowing Peace

_**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING.**_

 **Hey guys, back again with another chapter! No warnings for this chapter.**

 **Alice is going to begin to have a bigger role in the story from now on. Because her really obnoxious attitude won't really work here, I'm going to be characterizing her more as her calmer side we tend to only see with Oz. This will also make sense since she is normally antisocial in this fic. I'm sorry if she seems a little too OOC though. I will try and keep her more aggressive side but want to showcase her calmer side.**

 **As always, enjoy!**

The next morning after breakfast Gil and Reim left the grounds to go shopping for food; they were beginning to run out. They left the teens behind to watch over the sites and Reim let Alice carry the keys to the camper, since she was the most responsible of the group. Their departure left Oz a little worried, both because Gil would be gone for quite some time and because the others were probably going to wander off and leave him alone. While he wasn't afraid of being alone, it did unnerve him.

Gil gave Oz a hug before he left and made sure the boy had everything he would need for the time he'd be gone. He even took him to the bathroom in case he didn't want to go in his guardian's absence because he'd be by himself. He promised they'd be back before dinner.

As soon as they had left Elliot and Leo planned out their entire day of playing at the pool and beach, leaving immediately. That left Alice and Oz to lounge around the sites; having nothing really to do. It was obvious Oz didn't plan on leaving the sites, and Alice preferred to lay around at every chance, so she wasn't going anywhere. Oz didn't attempt to talk to Alice either, sensing that she was the type that would only interact with others when she initiated it. This left the boy to sit quietly in one of the lawn chairs, playing absentmindedly with his stress ball.

Alice appeared to be asleep in another lawn chair, relaxing in the heat of the sun. Oz watched her as she dozed, amazed by her calm complexion. Unlike himself, she seemed completely independent and unfazed by her current situation. Her primary place of peace was by herself, and Oz's was in the presence of someone else. He admired her for having such a laid back and strong nature.

Oz stared down at his lap, kneading at his stress ball idly. He was happy to have such a simple toy he could carry with him everywhere that could entertain him for hours on end. It was essentially nothing more than a balloon filled with slime, yet something about it was alluring to him. He tilted his head back against the chair and closed his eyes, calmed by the small amount of light that he could still see through his eyelids.

The two remained like that for awhile. No specific amount of time passed as far as they were concerned. Oz periodically glanced over at Alice, curious too see how long she could sleep. Part of him was worried that he had woken her up when he began to panic the night before, but his other half knew that she tended to sleep a lot and that this was normal for her. Every time he'd seen her she had been either asleep or staring off into space minding her own business.

A peaceful silence had fallen over them, only being broken by the occasional chirping of the birds or by a passing car or person. The sounds were all low and soft, a calming addition to the peaceful atmosphere of the camping grounds. An occasional loud huff would come from Alice as she relaxed, supplying her with the oxygen she was missing from her slow breathing.

Oz opened his eyes again to look at Alice, finding that hers were open this time and gazing at him. There were no emotions present in her gaze, no coldness or judgement. Her eyes simply watched him calmly, content to observe the slow motion of his chest as he breathed. For a second her violet eyes glanced up to meet with his emerald ones, seeing straight through to his soul. They then trailed down to his hands, which were still kneading at the stress ball, much slower and loosely than before.

"Why do you always play with that?" Alice asked, her voice calm and nonjudgmental. She meant no harm by the question, and Oz took none.

"It's something Gil gave to me." Oz explained simply, looking down at the ball as well. His action was not done in nervousness or unease; he felt completely calm talking with her. All of his assumptions about her personality from their first meeting melted from his mind as he experienced her true personality.

"I assume he is someone important to you?" She continued, attitude unchanging.

Oz nodded. With a small smile he said, "I've known Gil for as long as I remember. I live with him now."

Alice blinked, thinking for a second before speaking. "He isn't your father. What happened to your parents?" She asked, choosing her words carefully, fully aware of the fact that Oz had some kind of anxiety. After last night there was no question about it.

"I don't know what happened to my mother. I was separated from her when I was young." Oz began. "My father is in jail." He neglected to tell her why he was in jail, unsure whether or not it was something to share.

Alice nodded. "My mom died when I was a baby. My parents were never married so I never knew my dad either." She said. "I stay with Reim since he was a friend of my mom's and he treats me like his own daughter."

"Yeah, same with Gil. He adopted me because he's the only person who knew anyone in my family." Oz said. He was amazed by how much they had in common. He was also shocked at how well he was managing to hold a conversation with Alice, especially for the first time and on such a deep topic.

Alice didn't say anything else, and Oz let the conversation go. Despite what they had shared, the atmosphere of peace hadn't changed. It seemed to lighten now that they shared each other's burden.

"I heard you last night." Alice said finally, not looking directly at Oz anymore.

Oz sensed no contempt in her voice and she didn't seem upset about being woken up, yet his heart sank just a bit. He was upset at himself for the way he reacted, and even more so for disturbing someone else. "Sorry. I was a little anxious." Oz said with an apologetic giggle. It wasn't a happy sound; it was a nervous response.

"It's fine." She replied sincerely. "Just don't make it a regular thing."

Oz couldn't help but smile at her words. He sensed that she showed she cared through being rough, grateful that she was being kinder with him than with some other people he had seen her around.

Suddenly curious, Oz questioned, "Why do you and Gil fight so much?"

Alice smirked. "Old time rivals."

Their conversation trailed off again, this time for good. Neither of them having anything to talk about, they went back to quietly relaxing by themselves. Alice got up and grabbed a drawing notebook and a pencil before sitting back down in her chair, too awake to doze off anymore. She turned her attention to the notebook, glancing up at Oz every once in awhile.

Oz went back to kneading at his stress ball and closed his eyes, calmer than ever. He even felt himself begin to drift off to sleep, still tired from all the sleep he lost the night before in his anxiety attack. Soon he was completely unconscious, his grip on the ball in his lap going limp.

.o.O.o.

Some time later Oz felt a light pressure on his shoulder that woke him up. He opened his eyes and glanced over to see what it was, seeing Alice standing next to him with a hand resting on his shoulder. When she noticed he was awake she sat back down in her chair, placing her notebook back in her lap.

"You were groaning in your sleep." She said, explaining why she had woken him up. "It sounded like you were in pain."

Oz blinked a few times, still not fully awake. "Oh. Sorry." He said, the apology slipping off his lips out of habit.

"Stop apologizing." Alice chided, keeping her tone calm to show she wasn't angry. "You have nothing to be sorry about so why apologize?"

Oz felt the urge to apologize again but caught himself before he did. He looked down at Alice's notebook, curiously asking, "What are you drawing?"

Alice wordlessly held up the drawing for him to see. It was a perfectly penciled sketch of him, asleep in the lawn chair. Everything down to the stress ball resting in his lap was in extraordinary detail. She placed it back on her thigh and continued to add to it, no longer looking up at Oz as a reference.

"You're a good artist." Oz praised.

Alice couldn't help but give a loose smile. "Eh, it's really just a hobby. Nothing much." She finally seemed content with the drawing and closed the notebook. The raven haired girl looked at her watch and sighed. "There's still three hours until Reim and Seaweed Head get back." She said.

Oz was shocked; more time has passed then he had expected. Had they really been there for a little over four hours? It seemed like a lot but Oz knew he had probably slept a good chunk of it away.

"Do you want to do anything?" Alice asked, resting her cheek on his fist boredly.

Oz shook his head, "Not really."

Alice stared at the ground for a moment, thinking. She then stood and stretched, locking the camper and putting away her chair. "Come on, I want to show you something." She said, beginning to walk down the road without looking back at the blond.

Oz stood and put away his chair before jogging to catch up with her. She led him to the edge of the large field on the campgrounds, disappearing behind a group of trees. Oz followed, wondering where they could possibly be going. They eventually stopped at the base of a gigantic tree near the entrance of the grounds, compete with hundreds of twisting branches.

"Follow me." Alice commanded, beginning to climb the tree. Oz climbed up after her, using the same path she had used through the tree's winding limbs. About 50 feet up from the ground was a split in the tree trunk, leaving a semi flat surface in its middle. Alice pulled herself up to the split, sitting down on a part of it that jutted out from the rest. Oz sat in the middle of the space, leaning against the side of the tree.

"Not many people know about this place. It's a nice place to go to to be alone." Alice explained as she looked over the camp. From where they sat they had a bird's eye view of the grounds and could see everything not shielded by the trees.

Oz didn't respond to her statement, feeling that one wasn't needed. He observed his view of the world intently, captivated by the scene before him. They remained in the tree until they saw Reim's truck driving back to the grounds, enjoying the peace of their perch. When they returned to the sites Gil enthusiastically greeted Oz, asking how the day went without him there.

Oz smiled, excited to tell Gil about the day he'd had.

 **All done! Yay, I had so much fun writing this chapter!**

 **I'm so happy I'm writing these chapters so fast, I've just been in the mood to write lately. I hope Alice wasn't too OOC, I didn't want to take away her usual aggressiveness. In case it wasn't noticed, I also made her more wise than she seems to be in the manga/anime.**

 **Anyways, I hope you guys liked this chapter. Please review and tell me how I did and what you think! Until next time!**


	16. Recognition

_**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Hey guys, back again with another chapter! No warnings this chapter.**

 **I was going to originally put the entire camping trip into the fan fiction, but I feel that it's unnecessary and wouldn't advance the plot, so I'm going timeskip around half of the trip. This is the fourth night of the camping trip, and incorporates a bit more fluff; this time with Alice and Gilbert. I don't know who will be favored though until I write the chapter.**

 **I apparently can't stick to my plans with the fic, can I?**

 **Enjoy!**

Once a month the camping grounds hosted a movie night in the plaza. Gil and Reim had managed to plan their trip so that the movie night landed on the week they were there. So, at eight o'clock sharp, Oz, Alice, Gil, Reim, Elliot, and Leo were sitting at one of the tables in the plaza waiting for the movie to play.

Elliot and Leo were off to the side with Reim talking about random things and stuffing their faces with popcorn while they waited. Alice sat to Oz's left, her head resting in her arms as she watched the screen. Oz and Gil were huddled together under a thin blanket, trying to ward off the coolness of the night.

The movie that had been selected to play that night was a well known Disney movie: Inside Out. Oz had obviously never seen it, so tonight was something special for him compared to the others. He watched the screen intently as the movie began, completely captivated by its story. Gil subconsciously smiled at the look of content joy on the child's face.

He was so proud of Oz for how far he had come since the day he first saw him after his years of being hidden away, all alone. To be honest, Gil had doubted his ability to be able to bring the boy's old personality back. Seeing Oz now, he wondered how he could have thought such a thing; this was Oz he was talking about, of course he could recover from it.

Gil looked down at Alice, who was for once calm. She laid across the table in a relaxed state, one of her hands intertwined with Oz's. For a moment the man felt a twinge of contempt before coming down from it. Alice could be a pain at times, but she could easily be someone to lead Oz by example; especially when the school year started. His smile widened as he realized that the boy had managed to befriend such a free spirited person despite being fairly reserved and shy.

Seeing Oz smile always brought his spirits up. Before Oz had been found, he had been slowly slipping into a state of depression. He gravely missed his childhood friend, and couldn't help but wonder where he was and if he was even still alive. When Oz came to live with him, his entire attitude changed around. His blond was back, and he needed someone strong to count on. If he couldn't be that person, then there was no one that could.

His mind wandered to Oz's father, Zai. How could he possibly treat such a kind and wonderful child so brutally? It just didn't make sense to him. Oz was so fragile and small, he was shocked he was able to handle his situation so well and for so long. Even on his first day away from the brutality he was able to muster up a smile; not a faked one, but a truly happy smile. Gil admired him greatly for that.

He chuckled to himself, thinking of the irony of it all. Shouldn't Oz be the one who admired him for taking away from all that pain? Wouldn't it make sense for it to be the other way around? It seemed odd for an adult with a moderately peaceful life to look up to an abused teenager in his care. But then again it made sense, because such a young person could shoulder so much of a burden and continue to stand on his own.

Even if he was happy he could live with Oz because of his situation, he couldn't bring himself to even begin to forgive Zai for what he did to the boy. In his eyes, it was an act that didn't deserve to be forgiven. It was just too horrible and wrong.

Could Oz forgive the man for all that he had done to him?

It seemed impossible, but for Oz nothing seemed impossible. He braved years of abuse and neglect. He overcame so many fears and managed to live with the ones he hadn't. And underneath the shell he'd created to protect himself from being hurt was his old, cheery personality, completely untouched.

Gil cuddled the boy closer, feeling him instantly relax into the touch. He thought back to the first time he had held the boy, how he had tensed, how he had rejected the gesture. It had hurt so much to feel like he wasn't trusted, but he always kept himself going by telling himself it was simply the boy's conditioning. His way of thinking proved correct, as now Oz loved what he once avoided.

He felt like he was part of a story book, some elaborate story being played out by someone else's hand. Everything that was happening just seemed so welly written, so planned. Things in real life weren't this straightforward and simple, were they?

For the first time since the movie began, the screen in front of him caught his attention. Joy and Sadness had just gotten back to headquarters and Sadness was taking charge of the controls. He watched intently as Riley rethought her actions and went back home.

Seeing the scene play out brought the realization to his mind that being sad was a vital part of living. It sucked and no one liked it, but being sad allows you to see things others can't. Oz had suffered through a lot more than sadness, but still had the brightest smile. It reminded him of a quote he had once found while surfing the internet. And he never truly understood its meaning until now.

" _The loneliest people are the kindest. The saddest people smile the brightest. And the most damaged people are the wisest. All because they do not wish to see anyone else suffer the way they do."_

 **Done! I hope you guys liked the little quote I added in for you guys to think about.**

 **I brought back some Pandora Hearts ideas in this chapter if you didn't notice. And NO, this is not the end of Recovery Road. I know it must have sounded like it. Starting next chapter something huge is going to happen, and I can't wait to see how you all react. So, until then please don't forget to review, the feedback really helps and is greatly appreciated!**

 **Until next time!**


	17. Delusions

_**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Hey, I'm back!**

 **I can't believe how far we've made it! I didn't think I'd see the day where I got to write the next few chapters. As an early warning, soon I am going to have to switch this fics rating to mature, as I will be adding very explicit content. I am sorry for any inconveniences this might cause.**

 **Anyway, onto the story! Enjoy!**

.o.O.o.

Four days later, Oz and Gil were back at home. The camping trip had been so much fun, they almost didn't want to leave. Gil would also have to go back to work tomorrow, which would leave Oz home alone. Since Oz wasn't as shy anymore, Gil had arranged for him to hang out at Reim's with Alice, Elliot and Leo.

Right now they were relaxing on the couch in Gil's living room, playing Super Smash Bros Brawl. For awhile now Oz had been winning, quickly taking to the style of the game. He and Gil had been lounging around all day, enjoying the last few hours until Gil had to go back to work.

Gil paused the game and they left the controllers on the couch to go make dinner. Gil had begun teaching Oz how to cook, or at least allowed him to help. He showed an interest in it, but he was clumsy in the kitchen. Last time Gil trusted the boy to do something unwatched he managed to spill an entire bag of flour on top of himself, turning his hair, face, and clothes pure white.

While the two cooked they chatted energetically. Oz watched a pot of water while he waited for it to boil as Gil poured some meatballs into a separate pot. Upon Gil's request Oz began setting up the table while the man continued to cook.

Having run out of other things to talk about, Gil asked, "So what would you like to do after dinner?"

Oz shrugged his shoulders, knowing his guardian didn't see the action. "I'm not sure." Instead, he began listing things he would prefer not to do. "I don't want to watch a movie right now, and we've been playing video games for a while…"

He looked up at Gil while he thought. For some reason he found his eyes wandering to the front window of the house, his mind deadpanning at what he saw. There was a man standing at the window, staring intently inside; almost completely covered from head to toe in black clothes. The man's unwavering gaze seemed to be set on him as well.

Oz couldn't will himself to look away from the figure or to alert Gil to its presence. He could only stare back into his cold, malicious eyes as a shiver ran down his back. The figure was eerily familiar, but he was unable to tell who it was because the man's face was covered. A sudden clash of thunder sounded from outside, the accompanying lighting illuminating the figures face long enough for Oz to see his face.

The blond jumped back in fright. No, there was no way. It couldn't be him. How on earth could he have possibly found him?

Still unable to form words, Oz moved towards Gil and pressed against his side, trying to make the terrifying eyes stop watching him. Gil, who had assumed the thunder scared him, said, "The storm will be passing soon. It should be over in a few hours." He pet the boy's head for a second, offering a bit of comfort for the wrong reason.

Oz said nothing, frozen in fear. The figure had not moved an inch, but he was certain it would be less intimidating if the figure had moved at least somewhat. It stood like a statue, stone cold in the pouring rain. Oz had wedged himself in between Gil and the stove at that point, doing his best to hide from view.

The blonde's actions finally caught his guardian's attention and he followed his line of sight to the now vacant window. "Are you okay Oz?" The man asked in confusion as he looked down at the wide eyed boy. This kind of behavior had become out of character for him, which made him worry more.

Oz opened and closed his mouth a few times before he could talk. "I-I thought I saw something in the window." He said finally.

Gil frowned, dropping his task to investigate. He opened the front door and peered around the house, looking for something out of place. Oz watched from the kitchen, wishing it offered more space to hide behind than it did. Gil closed the door and resumed what he was doing, shrugging as if to say _I didn't see anything._

Now it was Oz's turn to frown. Was he imagining things? It was a nice thought, but the man in the window seemed so real. The outline of a human shape had been clear and unbroken, making it unlikely to be an illusion created by a tree. The blonde continued to stare at the window, anxiously anticipating something to jump from it. After several seconds he pulled his eyes from the glass, convinced the man was gone.

But he was back.

This time, he stood at the back door, which was made completely of a thick, shatterproof glass. Water poured down his motionless figure and dribbled onto the ground. His presence had taken on a phantom like quality, making it more eery and unsettling than before.

Oz jolted, startling Gil in the process. He almost burned both of them, and as a result Gil suggested Oz lay down on the couch and relax while he finished cooking. The boy obidiently sat on the couch, never taking his eyes away from the man at the door.

He felt like it was going to jumpscare him when he least expected it, and didn't want to give it that chance. Despite his worries, the figure remained as still as ever, making him more afraid, building up the tension until he was as taut as a violin string.

Gil finished cooking and they ate in silence. Oz kept his eyes trained on his food, Gil or the table, not wanting to see the eerie presence lurking outside. As the boy sat uncomfortably his guardian watched him carefully, dumbfounded by his sudden bout of anxiety. He couldn't figure out a reason why he would be stressing.

He couldn't be blamed either. Oz never told him what was bothering him and he failed to look up in time to see the man in the windows. The only clue he had to imply something was wrong was Oz's fear.

After they ate they went through several activities such as more video games, watching a movie, and card games. Each failed, however, as Oz couldn't pay attention enough to follow what was happening.

Eventually Gil gave up trying and suggested they turn in early. That way they could wake up before Gil had to leave for work and do something together for an hour or so. Oz agreed and left for his room to get changed; Gil doing the same.

Oz changed into a simple pair of black shorts and a white T-shirt, feeling more comfortable on the second story of the house. Even if the man at the window had been real there was no way he could scale a vertical wall to his bedroom. He turned off the lights and walked over to his bed, another crack of thunder sounding in the distance.

Lightning illuminated the room, once again outlining a dark figure looming in the window.

.o.O.o.

Gil laid in his own bed, already half asleep. He got tired quickly compared to Oz, even though they hadn't done all that much. Gil still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, though, after seeing Oz begin to worry so much.

He sighed and closed his eyes, too tired to think anymore. A tiny light lit up in his face, causing him to pick up his phone and look at who was calling him so late at night. He held the phone to his ear and sleepily asked, "What's up? I was just about to go to bed."

Deborah, the lady that was there when he first adopted Oz, was on the other end of the phone, sounding breathless. "Gilbert, we've just received word that Zai escaped prison. He's coming for Oz, get him over here NOW!" She shouted frantically.

Gil's eyes widened. He cursed under his breath and ran to Oz's room. His worrying suddenly made sense. Complaining about seeing things outside in the dark? Unable to concentrate and constantly worrying? Becoming suddenly attached to his hip and putting himself in danger in his haste?

The thing that caused all that was Zai.

Gil threw the door open to the teen's bedroom, shocked at what he saw. The room was completely vacant; the window lying open, it's glass shattered into a million pieces and scattered across the floor. Gil's hand flew to his mouth as he quickly became overwhelmed by so many thoughts and emotions.

With a shaking voice, Gil held his phone to his ear again and breathed, "Oz is gone."

 **DOOONNNNNEEEEEEEEEE!**

 **Aren't cliffhangers and plot twists the best? I was trying to build some sort of tension until the end, wanting to have you guys yell at Gil for not realizing what was happening. How did I do?**

 **Please review, they help me to plan what I do and they help me to critique my fanfictions and make them better. I'm sorry if this was kind of rushed or boring, I found this slightly boring to write because I can wait to get to the next chapter.**

 **Early warning, the next chapter is going to be brutal. Lots and lots of content will be included, so expect a longer time before it is posted. I will try not to take forever, but it will take longer than usual.**

 **Until next time!**


	18. Reliving Past Acts

_**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **I'm back!**

 **Sorry this took awhile, it's a fairly long chapter so I needed more time. This is going to be a pretty horrific chapter. I'm not gonna lie. Either way, I hope you guys enjoy.**

 _ **WARNING: TRIGGER WARNING. VIVID DESCRIPTIONS AND REPRESENTATIONS OF CHILD ABUSE, RAPE, AND SIMILAR TOPICS. EVENTS WILL NOT BE RECAPPED DURING STORY, SEE BOTTOM NOTES FOR A SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER.**_

.o.O.o.

After Oz had seen the figure in his bedroom window, he had blacked out. He did not know if he fainted or was knocked out, but the next thing he knew he was somewhere other than room he was now in was fairly dim, offering just enough light to see. There wasn't any kind of furniture or other items you would see in a typical room of a house, leading the boy to assume it was a basement.

He attempted to stand up, hoping to look around and figure out where exactly he was, finding to his dismay he was unable to. While his legs were completely free, his hands were handcuffed behind him and to the wall only a few feet off the ground, making it impossible to stand. He reluctantly backed into the wall to hold himself up, noticing he was too tired to do it himself.

His head was thumping, probably from whatever hit him when he blacked out. The taste of iron was thick in his mouth from the blood that had dripped into it from his nose. He saw no other injuries on himself.

For what seemed like hours, he was left alone in the dark room. There was just enough light to keep him from panicking, but he was still on edge and uneasy. He sat boredly against the wall, beginning to shiver from the cold temperature of the stone. In an attempt to warm himself back up, Oz leaned forward until his chest was resting on his legs, using his flexibility to curl up into the best ball possible. It worked somewhat, but he continued to shiver slightly.

His heart began to sink when he felt his bladder twinge. This was not happening. He knew his father would leave him by himself for up to weeks on end, but he had never been chained up during that time. He prayed that Zai would come back soon, if only so he could use the bathroom.

Even though he had been with Gil for awhile now, somewhere in the back of his mind was all the rules his father had set over the years. He was not allowed to do absolutely anything without Zai's permission; even sleep. This wouldn't really matter when the man wasn't around if he didn't have a way of somehow knowing when he broke a rule. He demanded complete obedience at all times to the point that it was impossible to not mess up.

And right now, messing up was the last thing Oz wanted to do. He was in denial about his current situation, and he knew that any kind of abuse would break his frail little bubble. The only thing keeping his hopes up was the fact that he knew Gil was looking for him. He just wished he wouldn't take too long.

Finally, the door to the room opened and his father stepped in, looking thoroughly displeased. Oz immediately sat up, watching the man intently. Zai knelt down in front of the boy, gripping his face roughly with one hand. "You've caused me more trouble than you're worth." He spat angrily, shoving the boy against the wall.

Hand now at Oz's throat, he continued speaking. "Don't think you're going to get away without being punished." He growled, tightening his hold on Oz's throat. "But how to do it…"

Oz coughed and sputtered, trying to breathe through his crushed windpipe. He struggled underneath his father, writhing frantically to get away from him yet making sure not to harm the man lest he anger him further. Spots began floating in his vision, slowly darkening his eyesight. The hand loosened just enough for him to breathe and he immediately began gasping for air, gripping his father's wrist and firmly trying to push it away.

Zai let go of him and stood. "While I think you can stay here and think about what you've done." He walked back to the door, and as he left he muttered, "I'll come get you when I feel like it."

Still trying to suck in enough air, Oz said nothing as the man left him alone once again. He whimpered, tears beginning to form in his eyes. He couldn't deny it anymore; this was really happening. Zai had found him and locked him in a cold basement by himself. And to make it worse he was completely exhausted and needed to pee.

The first thing to come to his mind was Gil. That was all he wanted at the moment, his guardian to be there to tell him it was alright. To take him back home and cuddle him on the couch underneath a warm blanket. Anything other than how he was at that moment would have sufficed.

He leaned back against the wall again despite hating how cold it was. Hunching over to try and stay warm put too much pressure on his stomach. Against his will tears began to fall down his cheeks; tears speaking of his pain, his discomfort, his loneliness. He hated this so much.

Oz groaned uncomfortably and pressed his legs together. The desperation games were probably the thing he hated most about being at his father's. Literally anything could be turned into one, and was unfortunately always the case. Being in such a cold room made this predicament worse than many others though, as shivering only made the desperation worse.

He didn't know how long he was there before Zai decided to come back and get him, and he didn't care to figure it out. The entire time he was chained to the wall the same mantra repeated itself in his mind. _Don't pee, don't pee._ If he did he was fucked.

Literally.

Zai had this weird and disgusting fetish surrounding it. He cringed whenever he saw the man getting turned on by his desperation. That was part of the reason why he had learned to sit still when he needed to use the bathroom; his father was more likely to let him go and sooner if he wasn't aroused. But the downside was if his father didn't know he had to pee and he had an accident it was even worse.

Eventually the man did unchain him. When he did he noticed the boy squirming and commanded, "Go use the bathroom. Get anything wet and I'll skin you."

Needless to say, Oz ran; both from his father and because he really needed to go. Afterwards he walked to the living room, figuring his father would be in there. The man was on the couch watching tv and when he saw his son he patted his leg once. Oz immediately sat down in his lap, tensing when Zai placed his hands on his hips and pulled him closer.

"I bet you're wondering what punishment I chose for you…" Zai smirked, his hot breath in Oz's ear. "You'll know soon enough." Oz shuddered underneath his father's touch. He knew what he was doing, he was trying to freak him out by making him not know when it would happen. And he hated it, because it worked so well.

Zai held the boy in his lap, his grip firm and threatening yet acting like their position was completely normal. Yet it was rare for the man to touch him at all unless he was hitting him or doing things to him. That made their position unsettling for the blond. There was a catch to this, whether he knew what it was or not.

They sat in total silence for hours, Zai watching TV and Oz sitting quietly, listening closely in case Zai said something. He didn't, however, and instead occasionally moved his hands over Oz's body, sometimes feeling his arms or his stomach or his chest. Oz, knowing he couldn't stop him, simply mentally rejected the touch.

The full feeling in his stomach returned, making it hard for him to sit still. Zai's hands moved back to his stomach and Oz slightly moved away, hoping the man wouldn't notice. He did unfortunately and pressed harder, earning a pained whimper from the boy. He pressed his thighs together to try and cope with the mounting urge to pee, knowing he couldn't give in to it.

"Something wrong?" Zai questioned, already knowing the problem. He wanted to hear Oz say it.

Oz's face burned. He hated when Zai did this. After a minute he worked up the courage to speak. "I-I need to pee." He admitted.

Zai smirked, one hand snaking down to the boy's crotch and squeezing it. Oz squirmed uncomfortably, embarrassed tears welling up in his eyes. The man's next words caused Oz's heart to sink. "Hold it." Zai said, his voice level and menacing.

Oz groaned. He couldn't. But Zai wanted him to beg, and he refused to. It was a hard battle, as the man was purposefully making it worse. He was sporadically bouncing his legs and holding him tightly across his stomach. Oz reluctantly shifted and pressed his thighs together, refusing to hold himself in front of his father. The blond tried to pull away from the pressure on this stomach again, feeling something poking at him from behind.

Fuck. He was aroused.

The man dug his fingers in the boy's stomach, making his need painful. For a split second Oz spurted, causing him to begin to panic. He couldn't do it, it hurt too bad. "Father." Oz whimpered, cheeks flaming.

"Yes?" Zai asked, squeezing the boy again.

"I can't hold it." He cried. He just wanted to pee, but didn't want to be abused for it. The boy was truly torn between deciding to give up and trying to wait until Zai was done playing with him.

"I don't care." Zai said calmly. He didn't care if the boy was practically already peeing himself, he wasn't going to let him leave his lap. It was only the beginning of what he had in store for him.

Oz's breath hitched for a second as he tried to keep from crying. " _Please?_ "

"No." Zai watched him squirm hungrily, loving the show he was putting on. He slid a hand into the boy's shorts and began to knead his crotch teasingly. Oz squeaked and tried to get away only to be held firmly in place by his father's other hand.

He began to leak again, this time unable to try and stop himself; Zai's hand was in the way. Zai felt the liquid drip onto his fingers and frowned. "Control yourself." He commanded, calming continuing to tug at his groin. Oz tried to follow the order, but couldn't; he was too tired. The stream became stronger, causing Zai to roughly squeeze his penis to stop it. Oz continued to slowly pee though, anxiously bouncing around to try and stop. Zai's grip tightened until it was agonizing, finally cutting the boy off and making him cry out in pain.

"Stop!" Oz yelled, pulling desperately at his father's fingers. He attempted to get away again, doing everything in his power to just make the pain stop.

Zai growled and slapped his cheek harshly. "Shut up!" He roared, hitting the boy again when he continued to cry. Time and time again he struck the blonde, never loosening his hold on him to lessen the pain. When that didn't work he tightened his grip again, forcing Oz to choose to quiet down to make it stop.

Satisfied with the more quiet boy in his lap, Zai proceeded to jerk him off. He periodically had to stop and squeeze him when he started leaking, not wanting him to have the relief yet. Within a few minutes the front of the boy's shorts were soaked, looking like he'd already pissed his pants. A time came when Oz was too hard to pee anymore, which delighted his father.

The blond began crying openly, not caring if he was reprimanded for it. He didn't ask for this; he didn't ask for any of this. It hurt so much, and his father was enjoying it. Like many times before in these situations, Oz felt himself drifting away mentally. 'Going away' was a way to cope with the abuse, to keep himself from going mentally crazy. He was still aware of everything that was happening, but it didn't hurt as bad if that made sense.

Zai slowly jerked the boy off, postponing his relief as long as possible. He felt something dripping onto his fingers, not knowing whether it was pee or pre-cum. Either way he pulled his hand away and shoved the boy onto the floor. With one hand he turned the boy around roughly and with the other undid his pants. He forced Oz's mouth open and forced his penis in it, holding the boy there so he couldn't move away. Tears continued flowing down the blond's face; tears of pain, shame, and embarrassment. This was so degrading and wrong. He felt like he was going to be sick.

Oz violently yanked his head away, gagging from having something so long in his mouth. It tasted absolutely disgusting and just knowing what was in his mouth made him shudder. He kept his tongue completely still, refusing to pleasure his father. Zai didn't let up though, knowing that he'd eventually give in so he could pee. Oz held out as long as he could, but just like his father expected he eventually began sucking. Trying to get it over with as fast as possible he was rough, giving an occasional bite because he knew for some reason his father found it arousing.

After what felt like an hour to Oz Zai finally came in his mouth. Zai didn't let go of his head though until he swallowed, watching as he shuddered again as it slipped down his throat. When he did he allowed the boy off of him and pulled him into his lap once again, finishing jerking him off quickly.

As soon as Oz came he began to pee, his muscles unable to strain themselves further to even attempt to hold it in. He tried to at least get off Zai's lap but his legs were too tired to lift himself as well. So he sat completely still while he waited for himself to finish peeing, silent tears streaming down his face. When he was done he thought it was over and that his father would hopefully leave him alone.

He was proved wrong when Zai pinned him to the couch, undressing both of them.

.o.O.o. (Gil's pov)

It was 6 o'clock at night. He hadn't gone to sleep that night after he found out Oz was taken and instead immediately drove to where Deborah was working in the adoption agency. He figured he could try and work out a plan to find Oz with her and the police.

However, that was far from what happened. Gil was sat down in a room and questioned by two police officers about the same thing for hours. After that Deborah herself came into the room and was SCREAMING and him for allowing Zai to take Oz.

He wanted to yell back at her, to say that no one had known Zai had broken out of jail until the moment Oz was kidnapped. It wasn't his damn fault if not even the police didn't know at the time, so why the hell was he being detained and accused over the incident? Shouldn't they be, you know, TRYING TO FIND HIM INSTEAD OF POINTING FINGERS?

Deborah never stopped venting though. "I can't believe this! When we allowed you to adopt him you were supposed to keep him SAFE, not let that bitch Zai kidnap him!" She hollered, pacing in front of Gil angrily. "And another thing! You should have been watching him! If you were this wouldn't have happened!"

Gilbert had had enough of this. He jumped to his feet, both hands curled into fists. "SHUT UP!" He roared, effectively stopping her ranting. "WHY DON'T YOU JUST STOP YELLING AT ME AND TRY WORKING ON FINDING HIM?! I mean come one, not even you guys knew Zai had escaped before Oz was kidnapped! How am I at fault here?!"

Deborah opened her mouth to counter him, but Gil cut her off again. "And don't try and say I wasn't watching him! We were together all day, and it was fucking 10 o'clock at night; both of us were trying to sleep! I'm sorry, is it a crime to let him sleep alone in his room?" By the end of his explosion he had calmed back down, his voice lowering to a more respectful level.

Deborah glared at him. "We are looking for him." She growled, choosing not to argue about anything else, feeling she couldn't win. "We know of a few different places he could be, but even if we did know we have to be careful; Zai wouldn't hesitate to shoot Oz if we found him."

Gil frowned. "Then how are we supposed to get him?" He asked, sitting back down.

"We wait until he is preoccupied or until he isn't around." Deborah replied, no longer pacing.

Gil wanted to ask another question, but he was deathly afraid of the answer. Deciding to take the chance, he asked, "And when he is back, where is he going to stay?"

Deborah shook her head. "We don't really know right now. The last thing we want to do is put him in foster care but we don't know if we can trust you anymore. It's not a matter of personal thoughts, but we have to think about what's best for him."

"Okay." That was fair enough. She hadn't told him outright he wasn't allowed to live with Oz anymore and figured that was the best outcome he could ask for at the moment. "Can I do anything to help?"

"Not at the moment. But we'll keep you posted. I'd say it would be best to wait at home and be patient; there is a small chance he could escape and go to your place. " Gil rolled his eyes. That wasn't going to happen. Oz was too afraid of his father and most likely too weak to even attempt an escape.

He stood again, this time calmly. "Fine. Please, call me as soon as you get something."

 **Finished! What do you guys think? Please don't hate me for all the tension!**

 **I didn't lie about this being brutal, did I? I couldn't bring myself to actually write a full rape scene, that's too much for me even though I'm writing this. I feel so bad for Oz, I just want to hug him so much!**

 **But anyway, thank you guys for reading and please don't forget to leave a review! Also, I don't know if it shows, but I have no sexual experience at all…..so sorry if this inaccurate. If something is off please notify me and I'll fix it. I didn't go into a lot of detail either, I don't think anyone wants to go through that. *shudder***

 **Also, in case this was a mixed message, I'm not trying to put down any fetishes here. I'm just saying that it's horrible to force a child to do something they don't want to do, putting them in pain in the process, and then get turned on by it and rape them afterwards. Sorry for any misunderstandings.**

 _ **SUMMARY: Oz woke up after being kidnapped in a dark room chained to the wall. After several hours Zai unchained him and sat with him 'innocently' on the couch watching tv before raping him several times. It then cuts to Gil trying to work out a plan to get Oz back with Deborah and the cops.**_

 **Until next time!**


	19. Playing Games

_**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Hey guys, I'm back again with another chapter! Once again, this is an added chapter and is the second one added on dealing with Oz's kidnapping. This one is adding on to some of the abuse he went through while away from Gil.**

 **(If this is your first time reading skip this and go straight to the story please.) So I know that I mentioned a thing later on about Oz being forced into playing desperation games and having his belts padlocked. I didn't think I had to, but I'm going to write one of these instances so you guys kind of know what I'm talking about when I say desperation games. I won't be doing specifically what I had in mind though because that'll make this a borderline fetish chapter so…..**

 **And maybe this can help to clear up some confusions as to why Oz was afraid of belts even after the exposure training. It's a fear of the object not so much as the situation. Well, that too but it's hard to explain. This was so hard to write too.**

 **Enjoy!**

.o.O.o.

The next morning was fairly calm compared to what had happened the day before. For several hours Zai kept his hands off of Oz and hadn't beaten him yet, which Oz was grateful for. It was hard for him to be content with the quiet though; he was sore all over from the day before.

Bruises littered his body, being mainly concentrated around his stomach and hips. Even his penis had a large bruise on it from his father. The wounds made it uncomfortable to sit, and it didn't help that after being raped his butt hurt too. He did his best to avoid sitting, always trying to lean on one leg or lay down to avoid the pain of it.

Around noon Zai was relaxing watching TV on the couch and Oz was sprawling out leaning over the couch's arm, being sure to lean on his hip. He wasn't paying attention to anything in particular; his life with his father was essentially waiting for orders or abuse and enjoying the time in between. It wasn't often he could relax and not be hit or be in danger of being raped.

Oz had begun to feel the need to pee nagging him around then and had no choice but to ignore it. He couldn't even press his legs together because of the bruise on his groin, making it much harder to conceal. Much earlier than usual his need became blatantly obvious to his father as he couldn't help but fidget under the weight of his bladder.

Zai noticed this and snapped his fingers and pointed to the floor in front of him, wordlessly commanding Oz to stand in front of him. The boy managed to obey with minor difficulty, waiting to see what the man wanted with him. Zai stood as well and walked up the stairs to the second floor, coming back a minute later with something in his hands.

Oz's heart sank when he realized that the object in his hands was a belt. _Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck._ Why did he decide he wanted to torture him like that at that specific moment? Couldn't he have waited until the boy was able to at least hold himself without being in agony? He honestly would have taken a beating over what his father had in mind.

Zai sat back down in front of Oz and began to thread the belt through the loops on his shorts. Oz, despite telling himself not to, shied away and was almost instantly in frightened tears. Zai completely ignored his distress and yanked on his pants to keep him in place and attempted to loop the belt once again. Oz refused to allow him to, pulling away with all the strength he had in his frail body.

Zai growled and slapped the boy's cheek hard, commanding him to be still. The slap did nothing to stop Oz's terrified protests, earning himself another. Still, the hit couldn't accomplish its goal and instead only made the boy cry and struggle harder. Despite this, the man eventually managed to get the belt on him and buckled it tightly. The last thing the man had to put on the boy was a small padlock; the main reason for Oz's fear.

Zai reached to put it through one of the holes in the belt but Oz pulled away fearfully. The man yanked forcefully on the boy's pants to pull him closer, meeting a force surprising strong for a frail teenage boy. Normally Oz would would comply with his father's wishes to avoid being reprimanded for being disobedient but couldn't bring himself to ever let this game happen willingly.

He anxiously pulled at his father's grip, fearful tears streaking down his cheeks. He cupped his groin with one hand and pushed his father's hand away with the other, trying to prevent him from putting the lock on. "Please don't." He begged, his voice wobbling through his mounting tears.

Zai completely ignored him, roughly ripped his hands out of the way. Oz never stopped trying to stop him, bouncing from foot to foot in anxiety and desperation. Nothing he did made an impact on his father.

Oz's breath hitched. "I already need to pee!" He whined tearfully, yanking himself away from his father. "Can I go first?!" He asked hopefully, vainly thinking his father might allow him that much.

"Shut up." Zai commanded, his voice calm and cold. He managed to finally get the padlock around the belt and the boy's zipper, making it impossible for him to get out of it unless he used the key.

"Father." Oz cried, pulling anxiously at the belt. " _Please?_ " He begged as he crossed his legs, his fear adding to the intensity of the desperation. It hurt to put any kind of pressure on his crotch, but he'd withstand it if it meant he'd get to use the bathroom. Most days Zai didn't want to clean up the mess if he wet himself and would let him go if he convinced him he couldn't hold it.

Zai sat back and smirked. "If you have to piss that bad then you can use your pants." Unfortunately today was not one of those days.

Oz bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. "Do I have to?" He asked in a small voice, sadly already knowing the answer.

"Yes."

Oz groaned out loud in distress. He was not doing that purposefully; he was going to hold it. The boy reluctantly 'sat' down in his previous position on the couch, crying as quietly as possible. He hated his father so much right now, he couldn't leave him alone for a day.

He would like to be able to think that it could be worse but it really couldn't. Even before today, he'd been dealing with what he suspected was a growing UTI and this was the first time he'd been forced into playing one of his father's games. That being said, he anticipated it to sting when he finally peed.

That fact only made him more afraid to use the bathroom. His father acted like it was a viable and easy way out, but he knew if he just peed to get it over with his father would either hit him or lengthen the game and make him sit in his wet clothes. Combining that with the pain of actually peeing was not making him want to go anytime soon.

He hid his face in the arm of the couch, fidgeting continuously in his seat to fight the desperation. He would hold himself to help him cope with the urge to pee, but it wasn't worth it at the moment; he wasn't going to put himself through the pain to postpone his fate maybe another twenty minutes. It was near impossible for him to hold it though because of the combined physical and psychological stress of his situation.

Most of the desperation games was phycological; the anxiety tended to make him give out long before he normally would. It could start right after he used the bathroom and he'd be able to hold it three hours at best, assuming he drank nothing.

Oz's muscles relaxed for a split second, allowing the smallest amount of urine to slip out of him. "Ahh!" He hissed, feeling his urethra burn intensely despite how little had actually passed through it. He whimpered and gently squeezed the end of his shaft to distract himself from the unpleasant sensation, his face heating up from the action.

He didn't like doing it, but doing that distracted him from the pain. Every time he leaked he squeezed himself, sadly noticing that after three or four times there was a visible mark on the front of his shorts. This, like everything else, didn't make it past the watchful gaze of his father and yet he did nothing.

Oz continued to cry, the sound beginning to irritate his father. The man ignored it for a few minutes but quickly gave in to his anger and slapped him again. "Will you shut up!" He roared, roughly grabbing Oz by the nape and pulling him to his feet.

Oz crossed his legs again and grabbed himself, ignoring the pain it brought on. "I can't hold it!" He cried, dancing around frantically to prove his point.

Zai rolled his eyes and shoved the boy away. "Go to the bathroom." He growled, tired of hearing his son whine.

Oz ran to the nearest bathroom and impatiently waited for his father to follow, knowing he couldn't go since his belt was still locked. Zai took his time walking to the bathroom and even more so when he unlocked the padlock on the boy's belt. He was purposefully slow, allowing as much time as possible for the blond to slip up and disobey his pre established rules.

As a rule of thumb during his games, Oz wasn't allowed to do anything on his own. He wasn't even allowed to use the bathroom by himself; Zai did that. He called all the shots, and if Oz violated them in anyway it resulted in things better left to imagination.

After the belt had been unlocked, Oz stood as still as possible, trembling from the stress. He glanced up at his father every few seconds, begging him to let him go. He made sure to keep his hands behind his back, clenching the fabric of his shirt to keep them in place.

He felt like he was dying, being forced to prolong such a necessary function for so long. His stomach throbbed mercilessly, only adding to the extreme discomfort of his desperation. He wished the stupid game could hurry up and be over.

Eventually, Zai seemed satisfied by the boy's obedience and pulled him out of his pants and aimed at the toilet. He didn't give the okay for Oz to pee though, pushing the boy's self control to the absolute limit. He panted tiredly and quaked under his father, eyes squeezed tightly shut and he grinded his teeth.

"Go." Zai said finally.

Oz immediately let go, grateful that the torture was over, at least for a moment. Unfortunately, it still stung like he'd expected to pee which made it hard for him to not stop or grab himself. If he stopped Zai would assume he was finished and if he touched himself then the man would put him away, regardless of if he'd been quick enough to stop peeing or not.

The boy grit his teeth, focusing on ignoring the stinging and nothing else. Tears continued to pour down his face, fueled by embarrassment rather than fear and desperation. He went as fast as he possibly could to get the pain over with, somehow managing to keep his fists behind his back.

Sure it hurt, but nothing was worse than being unable to use the bathroom normally. Most of the time he didn't get to use the bathroom at all; his father tended to either make him wait for hours or made him have an accident. On the rare event he could use the bathroom his father tended to control it and half the time didn't let him go all the way.

Thankfully, Oz's father let him finish. When he finished Zai put him back in his pants and growled, "If I hear you whine again I'll lock you in the basement again." He redid the boy's belt and the lock. " _Entiendes?_ " He asked, reverting to using the Spanish equivalent of the word "understand."

Oz nodded meekly. "Si." He replied, giving the positive Spanish response. It wasn't often his father used Japanese anymore, but it normally meant that he was one hundred percent serious. He'd never been formally taught the language, but he'd learned many of the phrases meanings the hard way over the years.

Zai dismissed Oz and let him do whatever he wanted for the moment. Oz almost immediately retreated to his room and hid under his comforter. He pressed his face into his pillow and groaned, thinking about Gil. He wasn't mean like his father, he didn't force him into painful and degrading situations.

He just wanted his friend back. He wanted to go home; not this horrible place where he was beaten and raped on a daily basis. The tears, which had slowed slightly, were renewed and silently streamed down the boy's face. He hugged his pillow and laid his head on it, pretending he was cuddling with another person.

He laid on his bed for what felt like ages, silently crying to himself. He felt the tears slowly begin to taper off as he began to fall asleep. The blond was exhausted; both mentally and physically. His tears slowly but surely lulled him to sleep, taking him away from reality for a few precious hours.

.o.O.o.

When Oz woke back up it was from the weight bearing down on his stomach. He sighed and got up, growing tired of the incessant discomfort. It was nice to not feel constantly desperate while he was at Gil's. It had only been a couple of days since he'd returned to his father's and he already despised the sensation again.

Oz descended the stairs to the living room, finding his father lying down on the couch. Zai paid him no attention when he entered the room, not even acknowledging his presence. The boy sat down on a chair away from the couch, watching his father closely. He wished he wouldn't ignore him all the time, it made him feel lonely.

And at that specific moment, it meant he couldn't use the bathroom. He knew his father was serious about the no whining rule, so even if he was about to piss his pants he couldn't ask to go. At the same time, he'd only get in trouble for pissing himself. It didn't make sense to him but he had no control over it.

Oz sat out of the way silently, having nothing better to do. He fidgeted uncomfortably, unsure whether or not his father could see the action or not. It wouldn't matter either way, Zai was going to ignore him until he was desperate again. Or so he thought.

Unlike what the boy had expected, his father watched him over the TV. His eyes weren't angry, more of a calculating observative gaze than anything. He seemed to come to a conclusion in his mind and motioned for Oz to come lie down with him. Oz obediently climbed into his lap and straddled it, keeping his weight on his knees and not his butt.

Zai checked the boy over, seeming to be taking an inventory of his every wound and checking for new ones. He wasn't very gentle with his motions but he wasn't rough either. It was a periodic thing the man did; seeing the damage on Oz to see what more he could withstand. If he was injured beyond a certain point Zai tended to go just a bit easier on him; just enough to let him heal to the point where his life wasn't in danger.

His hands prodded the boy's bruises, observing the level of pain displayed on his face after every touch. Oz was quiet for the majority of the exam, doing his best to refrain from squirming lest he be reprimanded for it. Most of the bruises didn't hurt all that much with the exception of the one on his penis. When Zai touched that one Oz gasped and pulled away. His earlier desperation caused more damage to that particular wound, making it hurt much more than the rest.

Zai seemed to be finished looking him over but never gave him an order to get up. Instead he left the boy in his lap and felt his stomach, noticing the hard bulge growing inside of it. He pressed on it, watching as Oz squirmed around underneath the unbearable pressure.

The boy half heartedly called his father's name, vainly hoping it might cause him to stop pressing on him. He groaned desperately and grabbed himself, being forced to let go upon his father's orders. The man finally let up when he saw the boy's shorts darkening again, a frown ghosting over his face.

He pressed again, ever so slightly lighter than the first time. "Hold it." He grumbled, watching Oz's hips tremble as he struggled to obey. After a few seconds the man suddenly increased the pressure to a point that forced the boy to have an accident.

Finding satisfaction in the boy's self control, he took off the belt for good. "Dejas." He said, allowing Oz off of him.

 **Done! What do you guys think?**

 **The last Spanish phrase Zai said essentially means 'leave' I thought it would be an interesting touch to add in that Oz and Zai speak Spanish. Also, I know I say Zai grabs Oz's nape a lot; I found out before I wrote this that you can apparently carry human children around like that? I know it's not practical or correct, but it's possible apparently and would obviously be a degrading gesture.**

 **Anyways, now you guys have a chapter showing one of Zai's games. I contemplated the scenarios for days before choosing one. Eventually this one seemed the least kinky while still getting the point across. I want you guys to feel bad for Oz, nothing else.**

 **Until next time!**

 **Update: I decided to switch the fact that Oz and Zai speak Japanese to Spanish, mainly because I understand Spanish more than I understand Japanese. Also, because something I am doing later on requires me to have a large understanding of the language, so I am going with the one I know more of.**


	20. Lashing Out

_**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Hello everybody, back again with another chapter!**

 **This chapter won't be as bad as the last (hopefully) but there are still some things to worry about. I am going to be going more into depth with some of the physical abuse Oz endures this time. Also throughout the time Oz is with Zai I'm trying to really show you guys why he fears what he does because it makes more sense than just telling you.**

 **WARNING: VIVID DESCRIPTIONS OF CHILD ABUSE. SUMMARY LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM.**

 **Enjoy!**

.o.O.o. (Oz's pov) (several days later)

Oz sat on the floor of his bedroom, boredly playing with the stress ball Gil had given him. When he had been kidnapped it was still in his pocket, and now he guarded it with his life. It was the only thing he had left from Gil; even his toy rabbit was still at Gil's place.

Zai was currently out and about and ordered Oz to stay in his room while he was away. Oz didn't mind being in there all that much, but there was nothing to do. Some of his older toys were still laying around, completely forgotten and torn apart.

Oz didn't need toys though, he just wanted some peace. While that was impossible in this house, he did have memories of peaceful times that could give an artificial sense of it. Like when he and Gil use to lay on the couch together, or when they talked in the car, or when he and Alice had relaxed together while they were camping.

The thought of the times he'd had with his friends brought a tiny smile to his face. He couldn't wait to see Gil again. He missed him so much. How long had he been away now; maybe a week? Oz wasn't sure, the days seemed to blend together here.

Oz's ears perked at the sound of a door opening and closing. He quickly hid his stress ball in his drawer and his head turned to his bedroom door, waiting for it to open. The manner in which it was opened could pretty much tell him how the rest of the day was going to be; opened normally and he would have a relatively calm time, but if it was slammed he was in for it.

The door slammed opened hard, making a loud and resounding crack when it hit the wall. Oz cringed internally but kept a calm facade up. Zai stood at the door, his face neutral but his eyes were on fire. He didn't move towards the boy but instead stood aside, wordlessly commanding him to get up and follow him.

Oz stood and walked out of the room, following his father downstairs and to a room he loathed with his entire existence. It wasn't so much the specific room as it was the conditions it was always in. The room was pitch black even during the day, and was filled with different sharps objects. He figured Zai must have had a bad day because he hadn't broken any rules.

Zai nudged him slightly, his touch rough. Oz gazed up at him, nailed to the spot in fear. Zai's expression was not moved. It said the same message; _In. Now._ Oz knew it was smart to do as his father said; it meant the torture would be over faster. However, he couldn't make himself offer himself up to the darkness flooding the small space.

Becoming impatient, Zai grabbed the boy by the nape of his neck and forced him inside, dragging him more than anything. He shut the door, ridding the room of any light it might have had a moment ago. Oz almost immediately began to panic, backing up to one of the walls. He squeaked and jumped away from the surface, finding to his dismay that something sharp was mounted there.

Zai grabbed him once again, this time by the collar of his shirt before pushing him down onto his knees and grabbing several chains and cuffs. He cuffed both of the boy's legs to the wall before making him stand again (he made him kneel so he couldn't kick him) and cuffing his hands to the wall as well.

He moved away from the boy, his steps silent and undetectable in the darkness. Oz's breathing quickened until he was hyperventilating and his heart raced. He desperately pulled at the restraints holding him in place, terrified. His mind was completely fogged by fear, and he wasn't even aware that nothing had happened to him yet. Zai liked to let the boy panic for awhile before he started torturing him.

Oz heard the sound of metal sliding against metal before silence settled again. He held his breath, anticipating pain. Without any warning a blade was drug across his cheek, causing him to shriek in pain. The worst thing about this room was neither of them could see; which meant Zai was randomly swinging a weapons, not caring if he poked an eye out or cut his jugular.

The blade continued to cut him, being swung at random intervals and at different places. His arms, his stomach, his legs, his chest were all covered in blood. He could feel the warm liquid pouring down his body and pooling at his feet in a large puddle. He began to feel faint from the blood loss and became increasingly dependant on the chains to keep him on his feet.

He cried and pleaded with his father to stop hurting him, to put down the weapon. Zai never listened though and mercilessly attacked him until he was barely clinging to consciousness. By that time he had completely tired his anxiety out along with his vocal cords, causing him to fall silent.

At some point Zai stopped swinging the blade and unchained the boy, allowing him to fall to the floor when he couldn't hold his weight up. He picked the boy up and carried him to the nearest bathroom, dumping him into the tub and undressing him. He turned the water on and let it fill the tub to the brim, smirking evilly as Oz's face contorted in pain. The man grabbed some soap and began roughly cleaning the wounds covering the boy, causing him to scream silently, unable to produce anymore sound from his rebelling lungs.

Zai slid his hands almost admiringly across the boy's battered skin. "It's amazing really." He said. "No matter how much I bruise this body no scars remain." It was true; Oz's body only kept scars of the most life threatening injuries he'd ever endured. One lone mark trailed from his collarbone to his hips on his right side, thin and faded. Another was on the side of his neck, right where his jugular should be. The worst one, though, was hidden under his chin at the place it connected with his neck. That one was from a gunshot, one that almost cost him his life; but he somehow made it through the injury with no complications other than the scar.

"It's such a waste." Zai growled. "There's never anything left to tell the story of the pain you've been through."

He finished cleaning the wounds on the boy and dried him off. Tenderly, he began bandaging the worse ones, not wanting the boy to die from his wounds. As he did so he rambled, making no sense to Oz. "You're the only one who can even come close to sympathizing with my pain." He said lowly.

Oz was so confused. What was he talking about? He'd never brought up anything like this before. He would voice his thoughts if it weren't for the fact that he was practically mute at the moment.

"Please, Oz." Zai said, using the boy's name for the first time since he could remember. "Can you forgive me?" He pleaded, hugging the blonde gently, careful to not aggravate his cuts.

Now Oz was even more lost than before. He had beaten him less than a half hour ago, and he was begging him to forgive him for it? Zai had to be losing his mind. It only made sense.

Zai slumped against the boy, resting his head on his chest. "Please." He whispered as he fainted. Oz sat on the floor, completely shocked. Was he okay?! Why did he faint?

Oz was too worn from what he had just gone through to move, and fell into a light sleep, somehow supporting himself and his father. They both remained there motionless for several hours until Oz woke up again, this time with enough energy to pull himself to his feet.

He left the room and changed into a pair of clothes that weren't torn to shreds before returning and staring at his father from the doorway. Needless to say, he was worried. He wondered when Zai would wake up if at all.

Deciding it was the right thing to do, Oz picked his father up and drug him to the livingroom couch, managing to lift him onto the soft piece of furniture. He moved the TV remote to a place where Zai could reach it if he woke up and put a pillow behind his head.

Once he was content with the way he had left his father Oz went back to his room and retrieved his stress ball. He laid on his bed, lightly gripping the toy in his hand. He sighed and his it in his drawer against, figuring he should get some sleep while he could.

.o.O.o.

 **Done!**

 **Alright, I feel good giving you guys a lot of material right now, I probably won't be able to post again for the next few days but I'm sure you can all have fun with the suspense of what will happen.**

 **SUMMARY: Oz was waiting for Zai to come home in his room. When Zai's got home he beat Oz in a dark room. While he cleaned and bandaged the boy's wounds he rambled about some confusing things and then fainted. Oz, being himself, pulled his father onto the couch before deciding to go to sleep.**

 **Until next time!**


	21. I Was Lost

_**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Hey, I'm back! Sorry for the wait!**

 **This chapter is going to be mainly just Oz thinking. No warnings. This was also rewritten after a common suggested I bulk it up. I'm sorry for the disappointment and I hope that this version is better.**

 **Enjoy!**

.o.O.o. (Oz's pov)

The very next day Zai disappeared from the couch. It at least gave Oz a bit of relief knowing the man was alive. He had given next to no evidence of his departure except for a note taped to the fridge.

Oz pulled it off the fridge and read it to himself. It said, ' _I'll be gone for awhile, but I'm not sure how long. I left some cranberry juice; drink half a cup in the morning and again at night._ ' He opened the fridge and saw four bottles of cranberry juice.

He found himself smiling at the small provision. While it seemed like an odd thing to leave for him, Zai had actually been fairly considerate. For the past few days he had been developing a nasty UTI and both of them knew it. While he refused to bring the boy to the doctor for obvious reasons, he knew that cranberries stopped it from getting worse.

Oz drank some of the juice before immediately going back to sleep. He didn't get much of it anymore, and whenever he got a break he gratefully took it. He slept until night, getting up only to use the bathroom and get something to drink.

Oz had had a UTI before, and knew they were no walk in the park. They were actually quite painful, but he'd never experienced one just as bad as the one he had right now. His stomach was always on fire, whether he needed to pee or not. The pain only worsened when he needed to go, and became almost unbearable when he used the bathroom. Because of this he had begun to hold it, trying to postpone the pain despite knowing it wouldn't help his condition.

The boy continued the routine of sleeping most of the day away for about 4 or 5 days, leaving little space for him to feel lonely. He was feeling quite the opposite, because in his dreams Gil was always there. Unfortunately he could never remember anything they did, but he always saw the man's face when he awoke.

The dream world mirrored his life with Gil perfectly, making it seem more real than reality. More accurately, he felt that reality was just a sick dream he couldn't wake up from. Nothing more than a dark phantom haunting his mind. It brought his hopes up a bit, imagining that his pain, his loneliness, his suffering was all a dream.

That came to an end when he had caught up on his sleep. He wished he could continue to sleep until Zai was back, it sped things up and he prefered the dream world much more than the one of reality. Instead he spent a majority of the days laying on the couch downstairs, staring at the ceiling and thinking.

For most of the time, the two thoughts that continued to battle in his mind were those of hopefulness and hopelessness. Gil would come and get him, he was sure of it. However, compared to that one hope, the negatives seemed impossible to not drown in. He knew he was sick, what if he got worse? What if Zai shot Gil when he came for him? What if Zai never even came back at all?

Thoughts of abandonment always took hold in his mind while his father was away, but they were harder to endure this time around. For years, loneliness was all he knew. After being with Gil again, he had known something other than that; he had known genuine happiness and love. Knowing there was something much better than being alone made abandonment a much harder reality to swallow.

After a week of being left by himself Oz felt the weight of loneliness beginning to bear down on him harder than ever. It always manifested as boredom at first, slowly transitioning to an overall depression as time went by. There was a tv to occupy himself, to try and fill in the void, but he didn't want to. He'd always watched tv with Gil, it would feel off doing it by himself.

So he just laid around whenever he was awake. He had begun to loathe moving from the couch, as walking was quickly becoming a painful task from the mounting pain in his stomach. Laying down was when it hurt the least, and even then it felt like a dagger was being twisted inside him. In comparison, just standing alone felt more akin to swallowing hot lava.

When was Gil going to come get him? It had been….a little over a two weeks now? He knew the man was going to find him at some point, but he was growing impatient. Maybe he would have been more patient if it weren't for the chronic pain he was enduring. Either way he just wanted Gil.

Part of him was already thinking about what it would be like when he was finally back with Gil. He feared that after being abused and raped again he wouldn't be able to feel comfortable around him. It broke his heart to know of the possibility their relationship could be compromised because of this.

The other part of him was anticipating the day he was reunited with him wholly. He couldn't wait until they could do anything together again; anything other than sitting around all day with nobody or nothing to occupy the passing time.

To be completely honest, he didn't blame Gil at all for what happened; but he knew that Gil blamed himself. It was his fault if anything for not telling him when he saw the figure in the window even after he checked. Or maybe he should have followed Gil to his room; maybe it would have stopped Zai from breaking in.

At the same time he knew that it wouldn't have done anything but put Gil in danger. That being said, he was happy how that night played out because he knew Gil was safe. It made the wait easier not feeling guilty because the man was hurt for his sake.

.o.O.o.(Gil's pov)

After Gil had been told he couldn't do anything for the time being, he went home and slept, trying to regain a bit of what he had lost after Oz had been taken. He reluctantly went to work today after day, always ready to leave in seconds if Deborah called him. Gil's day had become a simple routine: wake up, eat, work, eat, sleep, repeat. It was killing him, having to wait on someone else to find someone so important to him.

Gil noticed that the most noticeable change after Oz was taken was the atmosphere of his house. It became a dull, boring place, and he hated being in it. The four walls had become a nagging presence, constantly reminding him of his profound loneliness. He no longer had anything to do to occupy himself now that the boy was gone.

It was all his fault. He should have noticed Oz was nervous and he should have said something. Then he'd still be here, not back with that monster that called itself his father. He was always so worried for the boy, worrying about what he must be going through. One of his worst fears was that Oz blamed him for what happened too, and he wouldn't blame him for it.

He only hoped that he would forgive him, and even then he wasn't too hopeful for that. He certainly couldn't forgive himself, so he didn't expect Oz to either. Gil just wanted to have Oz back; to know he was safe.

.o.O.o. (Oz's pov)

Now it had been close to a month. This had to have been one of the longest times he had been by himself. It was really wearing down at him, being isolated for so long. The pain in his stomach had become like hot lava all the time, regardless of what he was doing. Whenever he used the bathroom he cried. To make matters worse hunger was always gnawing at his stomach, adding another level of discomfort.

Over the past few weeks he had lost all the [healthy] weight he'd gained while he was with Gil. He could feel his awareness slowly but surely fading every day, coming and going depending on the amount of pain, discomfort, and depression he was in.

Where was Gil?

.o.O.o.

It was sometime in the middle of the night when Gil finally received a call from Deborah. Ignoring his exhaustion, the man immediately drove to the police station she told him to meet her at.

They had found Oz, and were ready to make a move.

Deborah greeted Gilbert when he arrived, bringing him to a small conference room where they could talk. Getting right down to business, she said, "As you already know, we know now where Zai has been keeping Oz."

Gil nodded. "Yes. What are you guys going to do?" He questioned, unable to wait until he could see Oz again. He missed him so much.

Deborah answered, "Zai is away at the moment, so once morning hits we are going to send a team of police officers over to retrieve him." She paused for a moment. "We've decided you can come along if you want, but you have to stay back in case anything goes wrong."

"Okay, thank you I'll be there." He said gratefully. "Have you decided whether or not he can stay with me or not?"

"We will decide once he is safe based on his reaction to seeing you again. If he seems happy to see you, there's a good chance he can go home with you." She promised.

 **Done. This was not as long as I wanted, but I'm not going to drag it out and make it boring.**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed and thank you for reading. Please leave a review, praise or flames, both are gratefully accepted and encouraged.**

 **I feel so bad for Oz, I just wanna hug him! I can't wait until they rescue him cause he needs it right now.**

 **Until next time!**


	22. Now I'm Found

_**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Hey, I'm back! Sorry for the wait!**

 **Oz is going to be saved! Yay! But are you all so sure this will come about just as you expected? Let's see!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **WARNING: VIVID DESCRIPTIONS OF CHILD ABUSE.**

.o.O.o.

Oz slowly opened his eyes, reluctant to join the world of reality. He felt absolutely horrible; he was in so much pain. His stomach was cramping, growling, and on fire all at the same time. Some of the pain radiated to his legs, making them utterly useless.

That being said, despite feeling an intense urge to go to the bathroom, he couldn't get up. Even if he still had the ability to walk around he would have ignored it. Sure, he was in pain now, but it was so much worse when he used the bathroom. Imagine the pain of having alcohol poured into an open wound; multiply that by about one hundred and then imagine it in your urethra.

Painful, right?

Tears pricked at his eyes; tears of pain and longing. He missed Gil, he missed having another human being in the same room as him. The hurt weighing down his heart easily outweighed the pain plaguing his stomach. _Gil_ Oz thought sadly. _Don't forget about me._

That was precisely what he feared had happened to Zai. What if he forgot about him? The thought certainly had merit, the man had been gone for at least a month now. The longest time he remembered before then was around two weeks. Being abandoned was a situation he knew he couldn't survive. Not if he couldn't even stand on his own.

Suddenly a loud bang sounded behind the boy, causing him to jump and take a sharp breath in. He instantly regretted the movement when the pain in his stomach flared. Zai walked over to Oz, frowning deeply at the boy. Oz looked up at him, unconsciously sinking away from the hardened gaze.

"Up." Zai's commanded, his voice expressing poorly vieled anger. "Now."

Oz began to protest, trying to explain to his father that he _couldn't_. "Father I-"

The boy was cut off by a hand closing around his throat, tightening just enough so that he could be lifted off the couch. Oz held on to his father's wrist, attempting to support some of his weight so it wasn't straining his neck as much. This wasn't very suscessful, considering he was weak from not eating.

Zai's frown darkened. "Did I ask for you to speak?" He snapped, dropping Oz on to the floor.

Oz coughed, gently holding his throat. Again, he tried to explain why he refused to get up. "I can't." He said quickly, managing to finish his statement before a swift kick connected with his chest.

"What do you mean you can't?" Zai's spat, lifting the boy to his feet by his collar. He loosened his grip, testing the blond's ability to hold himself up. Much to his anger, he noticed Oz made no attempt at all to stand, his knees simply giving in to the weight of his body.

"It's the UTI." Oz said slower than before. He tensed, anticipating some kind of blow.

Except, one never came. Zai let the boy fall into the couch, and with a small nod of understanding said, "So it's worse than we thought." He pressed on Oz's bladder, noticing how guarded his stomach was compared to before he left.

Oz whimpered, his need returning with a vengeance. Zai let up the pressure and stared at the boy while he thought. He finally realized that the infection was most likely going to kill the kid if he didn't go to the hospital. That was completely out of the question though.

A shout suddenly came from outside, short like a dog's bark. Zai peered out the window to see who had shouted, his eyes widening in shock. He grabbed Oz by his nape and dragged him to the basement, the first place he had seen upon waking up. The man threw him against the wall and chained him to it; cuffing only his hands, making sure they were high enough to make him 'stand.' His legs were useless, no point in restraining them.

He quickly grabbed a whip and, completely blinded in a fit of rage, lashed at the boy mercilessly. After several blows he shouted, "They're here, they finally found us!" When he had looked out the window, instead of seeing a person he saw at least 5 cop cars, their lights on and shining brightly. He sure as hell wasn't going to let them take Oz away without giving him a lesson first.

Oz cried out in agony as the whip stuck his stomach, his chest, his face over and over again. His mind was far away from the situation, ignoring the spikes at the end of the weapon digging into his skin. They're here? Who was they? He immediately assumed his father had meant there were cops outside; nothing else would have caused such an intense reaction. That conclusion would have made him smile if it weren't for the pain he was in at that moment. Was Gil with them? He became hopeful for a moment, excited to see his friend again.

With every blow, every cut the whip made on his body, that same hopefulness began to fade. He was already so physically weak before Zai had started attacking him; he couldn't see how he was going to live through the beating. He could already feel his mind clouding and his vision becoming fuzzy.

The next few things that happened Oz barely registered. The door to the room was knocked clean off it's hinges and trampled by a crowd of people, some with guns. A loud bang sounded and Zai collapsed in a motionless heap on the floor, red pooling underneath him.

While he witnessed the scene before him, all of his senses began to dull. His hearing muffled as if he was wearing wearplugs and his eyes blurred, most of what he could see turning to a white fog. His mind went completely blank and he couldn't find the energy to try and form another thought.

Oz glanced up, able to make out a black figure running towards him. It stopped inches from his face, propping his chin in its hands. He couldn't see or comprehend who it was in the white cloud that had become his world, blurring his vision until it was nothing more than an array of colors.

Time slowed down, making a second become an hour. He closed his eyes, his body growing numb. It was a nice rest from the incessant pain blooming across his skin, one that began to lure him to sleep. He barely registered a slight movement of his head, shaking him from his slumber.

His eyes opened again, seeing nothing. The only thing indicating he was awake was the slight touch lingering on his face. Whenever he closed his eyes it shook him back into consciousness, desperately trying to keep him awake for a reason he could not understand. Despite his confusion he attempted to keep his heavy eyelids from falling closed. The small amount of touch he had faded to nothing, leaving nothing to keep him from sleeping.

And then, his world of white fell into darkness.

 **Oz is saved! Yay! Poor thing, he fainted though. I've had an experience with fainting, and it is almost instantaneous and can easily be the most mindnumbing thing you can feel. One by one your senses go numb, and then when you come back you can only feel for over a few minutes. You just feel weak and sick all over.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed, the next chapter will take a bit longer. I'm not sure if I should break it into multiple chapters or leave it. Either way expect an update before school is back in session.**

 **Until next chapter!**


	23. A Desperate Ride

_**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Hey guys, I am back with another chapter! If anyone hasn't noticed, this one was posted a little out of order, but I decided I wanted to put this in. It is essentially Gil's pov of when Oz faints and afterwards; like a flashback for the people who are caught up to the time in between that and the next chapter. People who just started reading, I hope you enjoy.**

 **Have fun!**

.o.O.o.

They had finally found Oz. They were at the house, 5 pairs of cops and an ambulance was on the way; a precaution. No one knew what state the boy was in, for all they knew he could have been dying at the moment, or he could have been in perfect health. They weren't taking a chance though and prepared for the worst possible scenario.

Deborah had called Gil like she promised, and Gil showed up at the address she gave him long before she did. When she did get there, though, she stuck to her resolve to not let Gil inside. He was supposed to wait outside until they got Oz and at least made sure he was safe.

This of course irritated Gil to no end. He understood they didn't want him to get in the way or get hurt himself, but it was still agonizing having to sit back and trust the police. He and Deborah waited in the back of one of the cop cars, all doors open with the single officer that had stayed outside. Several had gone inside and the rest scoped out the house or watched the doors.

Gil bounced his leg impatiently, listening for any sign of what was happening inside the building. It was quiet, there was nothing except the sound of the sirens and the police radio. It was agonizing without the sound of someone, anyone talking, communicating what they were going to do. Gil wished someone would make a noise, absolutely anything to indicate what was happening.

And then he heard it. A sudden, loud bang resounded throughout the house, the sound bursting through the open front door towards the car. Gil and Deborah both jumped, startled by the sudden noise, and before Gil knew it he was running for the building.

That was a gunshot. He didn't know who had fired it and at who, and that terrified him. He faintly heard Deborah yell at him but he paid her no mind. Was Oz okay?! It wouldn't make sense for any of the officers to shoot if Oz was the only one here. That meant that Zai was back.

Gil's legs were on autopilot, taking him through the house as if he'd lived in it all his life. He somehow found the room the gunshot had originated from; the basement. He couldn't see in the room though; too many officers blocked off the doorway. None of them moved, so Gil shoved his way into the room. If they weren't reacting then it must have been safe enough for him to enter.

He was right, Zai had come back. Gil had expected the man to be attacking the police, lashing out violently and screaming curses. That was far from what he saw. The man was splayed out on the floor, completely motionless. Blood poured out of the gunshot wound in his head and pooled around his body, covering a majority of the cemented floor in seconds.

All Gil could smell was blood. It was a salty, thick scent that he wished he would never smell again. It was disgusting.

Gil looked up from the corpse, finding that it was not the most gruesome scene in the room. Oz looked much worse. He was chained by his wrists high on the wall, hanging from the chains and unable to stand. Every inch of him was covered in bloody lacerations made visible through his thoroughly torn clothes. The boy's head hung low, causing Gil to fear he was dead.

Oz's head tilted up just enough for him to look up at who had entered the room. His tired eyes strained open and connected with Gil's, weighed down heavily and fighting to stay open. There was nothing but absolute pain and exhaustion in them, not even tears. They closed again and Oz's head lowered, the boy being too tired to hold it up any longer.

Gil rushed over to the boy, the officers behind him still trying to figure out what to do. He called Oz's name, his voice loud and terrified in the silence of the room. He leaned down to the boy's level and held his head in his hands, attempting to get a response out of him. He had learned over the years that when someone was mortally injured the last thing you wanted to happen was let the person sleep. Keeping true to this, he did his best to keep Oz awake, at least until the paramedics arrived.

Oz's eyes were closed, unresponsive to the touch. Gil gently shook the boy, desperately trying to get him to make a sound, open his eyes, anything to indicate he was still conscious. Those emerald orbs showed themselves again, barely visible behind the boy's eyelashes. As soon as Gil saw them they disappeared.

Gil shook him again, a little harder this time. "Oz, wake up. Come on don't sleep yet." He said loudly, knowing that the blonde was losing his ability to hear as most people did when they fell asleep. Being sure to not hurt him more than he already was, he incessantly shook the boy or talked to him, anything that might keep him awake.

"Oz!" Gil yelled. "Oz!" His calls were in vain though; the boy wasn't hearing him anymore. Tears began to blur the man's eyes, making the world appear to swim before him. He let go of his son and stood up, turning to the officers with flaming eyes. He didn't have to say anything for them to begin to move, unfrozen by the heat of his gaze.

One of the officers ran outside and grabbed a pair of bolt cutters to cut the chains off of Oz's wrists, though they didn't have time to get the cuffs off safely. Gil held Oz up while the links were cut, catching him when they no longer held his weight. He lifted the boy into his arms and carried him outside.

Unlike last time Gil had held him, Oz was as light as a feather; Gil might as well have been carrying a puppy. Oz's body was so frail, so skinny it could easily be broken. Gil couldn't believe how much he had changed in such a short amount of time and it only proved how horrible his environment had been. Someone didn't drop as much weight as Oz had and still eat.

Seconds after Gil emerged from the house an ambulance came barreling down the street. Two paramedics hopped out of the vehicle and helped Gil set Oz down on a stretcher. They lifted it into the back of the ambulance, one paramedic climbing in with him and the other getting in the driver's seat. Gil got in the back with Oz and the first paramedic, sitting down on a seat near the boy's head.

The paramedic got right to work attempting to save Oz. He ripped open packet after packet of a substance called quikclot, pressing it into the worse wounds the boy had. Oz was still bleeding out from most of his cuts, and went into shock faster than the paramedic would seal the wounds. To try and lighten the mood somewhat he mentioned he was happy Oz was unconscious; most awake patients yelled in pain when they used quikclot. It hurt but it worked.

Once the paramedic had managed to almost stop the bleeding he began checking for other things; broken bones, bruises, internal bleeding, things like that. Much to Gil's relief he didn't find anything broken or bruised. He did, however, notice the guarding in the boy's stomach from his UTI. He felt around, figuring out what the bulge was that it created.

The paramedic frowned. "He's retaining." He muttered to himself, pulling at his radio. He said what was wrong with Oz in words so big Gil was clueless, relaying the information to the hospital they were headed to.

"What does that mean?" Gil wondered, beginning to feel really stupid. He didn't specify what he was asking about, but the paramedic seemed to understand what he had meant by the question.

"He needs to pee but he can't." The paramedic rephrased, dumbing it down to an easily understandable level. Gil nodded his head and made a noise indicating it made sense.

"How does that happen?" Gil pressed.

"Normally it only happens to older people, so the most likely reason is trauma or a urinary tract infection." The paramedic explained.

Gil nodded slowly and said, "Oh."

The paramedic couldn't do much more to stabilize Oz; now they had to wait out the ride to the hospital. The ride was maybe 10 minutes, but to Gilbert it might as well have been several hours. Every second that ticked by caused Oz to sink farther into shock; inevitably pulling him towards death.

For once, Gil found himself missing the sound of Oz crying. It was a noise that broke his heart, but at least it meant that he was still alive. He would give anything to hear Oz cry, to call out for him, to complain about the pain he was in. It was all he wanted, to see some sort of emotion on his pale face.

Gil held the boy's hand in his own, holding their entertained fingers to his mouth. Oz was so cold without the blood that he had lost to keep him warm. The light pressure of Oz's grip on his hand was nonexistent, a sensation he'd come to expect and missed dearly. He prayed Oz wouldn't die. There was no way he could deal with that situation.

The ambulance finally pulled up to the hospital, and a team of ER staff was waiting for them. They rushed Oz inside the ER, Gil following closely behind. One of the hospital's staff stopped him at the waiting room, informing him that he had to wait in one of its chairs. He reluctantly sat down in an empty seat, trying to calm himself.

He refused to cry; Oz wouldn't want him to. Even after all the kid had been through, he didn't want others to suffer because of him. Gil breathed, in, out, in, out. He must have looked frantic to the other people waiting for their friends and family. No one judged him for it though; they had all seen Oz rushed in, close to death. Gil sighed, comforting himself with the knowledge that they were at the hospital now.

All that was left was to play the waiting game.

 **Doneee!**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed. I thought about this chapter for a while and I know I posted it a little out of order. It took quite some time to switch all the chapters around. Either way, how did you guys like this?**

 **Until next time!**


	24. Road to Recovery

_**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Back for more! Hope you didn't mind the wait.**

 **This is gonna get a bit medical, complete with some sad fluff and some explanation. Also, after tons and tons of research this is what I got. Don't shoot me if something is wrong.**

 **WARNING: Squeamish people please be advised. Mentions of vomiting and blood.**

.o.O.o.

When Oz came to again he became aware of things one by one. He could feel something attached to his arm and leg and once again felt the stinging pain of his UTI. However, it felt a lot less intense than before and much more bearable. Oz attempted to move his hand to find out what was on his arm, finding it to be a harder task than he originally thought. His arms felt like they were made of lead, practically pinned to whatever he was lying on.

As his hearing returned he heard a slight rustle and footsteps, two sounds he barely differentiated from the constant, steady beeping filling the semi silence. A hand held one of his, it being much larger than his own. Several muffled words floated towards him, too tampered with to understand. Oz squinted his eyes open, once again seeing his world of white. Unlike before, he could make out shapes; a chair, a wall, a bed, a ceiling.

It was then he realized that it wasn't his sight going haywire, but that the room was actually white. He began to sit up but a firm pressure on his chest prevented him from doing so. He looked over at what had caused it, seeing the one person he wanted to most.

"Gil!" Oz cried, his voice low and weak. He wrapped his arms around the man and squeezed him as tight as he could, afraid to let go.

He heard a joyful chuckle before Gil pulled away slightly. "Be careful, you wouldn't want to pull out your IV." Gil warned, carefully moving away from the tubes connected to the boy's arm.

Oz glanced down at his arm in confusion. "My what?" He saw the needle imbedded in his arm and felt his heart drop like a piece of lead. The fear hit him hard and fast, a reaction that neither he or Gilbert saw coming. He gasped, his voice breaking as he frantically yelled for Gil to get it out of his arm.

Gil leaned into the boy and hid his eyes in his shoulder, keeping the boy from seeing the IV. He was a bit startled by his sudden panic but quickly worked to calm him down. It was a little too early in the morning for so much noise. "Oz, relax it's okay." Gil soothed, resting a hand on the place the iv entered his arm in case he attempted to pull it out.

Oz trembled, holding his arm as far away from himself as possible. "What is it?" He asked, cowering away from the needle.

"It's a tube doctors can give you medicine through." Gil explained simply, trying to make the IV seem as harmless as it was to the frightened boy.

Oz frowned. "Medicine?" He asked, his tone questioning why he would need such a thing.

The raven haired man pulled away from the boy, looking him in the eyes. "Do you remember anything from before you fainted?" Gil questioned seriously.

The bloody scene of his dead father flashed before Oz's eyes, much clearer now than it had been before. The vacant, lifeless look in his father's eyes as he laid in a heap on the floor, completely motionless. The smell of iron that had invaded his nose just seconds before he blacked out. He gulped and nodded, not trusting his voice.

Gil sighed and hugged the boy gently. "We were so worried about you; you were so sick." After Oz had fainted an ambulance had rushed him to the hospital. He had been in such bad shape that many of the paramedics thought he was going to die. Thankfully, he didn't, but he had given them quite a fright.

Oz laid back down, still refusing to look at the needle impaling him. A slight grimace worked it's way onto his face, a reaction to the returning pain in his stomach. This in turn made Gil frown, starting to worry about the boy.

"What's the matter?" Gil asked, sitting down in a chair he'd pulled up.

"My stomach hurts." Oz whined.

Gil made a sound of recognition and leaned over Oz, pressing a big, red button labeled, 'nurse.' Oz didn't ask what it was for, inferring the answer from the label. His eyes traveled upwards from the button, noticing for the first time the heart monitor and IV bags situated next to him. He stared at the monitor for a moment, watching the lines intently as they repeated a slow, rhythmic pattern.

Oz looked down at himself, noticing he was covered from head to toe in bandages. When he asked Gil about it he said they were protecting the stitches he got to close all of the [deep] whiplashes he had received. This was news to him, considering he had never had stitches before. Gil explained them to him though, being careful to leave out the part involving the needle.

A few minutes later a nurse entered the room and looked to Gil, who told her why she had been called. She nodded and moved to the side of Oz's bed, adding a clear liquid to one of the bags. Oz watched curiously, having never seen any of this before. The nurse leaned down to check something Oz couldn't see before leaving, offering the boys a smile as she left.

Forgetting his curiosity about the IV, Oz sat up and leaned over the side of the bed to see what the nurse had looked at. Hanging on the side of the bed was another bag similar to the ones connected to the IV. Instead of the liquid inside being clear, it was a deep pinkish-orange. He touched the tube connected to it, giving a gentle tug to see where it led.

Oz jumped 5 feet in the air, immediately letting go of the tube and covering his mouth. Gil couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. Oz stared in contempt at his lap, still processing the pull he felt in his stomach. "What is that and why is it where I think it is?" He questioned, his face flushing a deep red.

Gil smiled at the boy's ignorance. "Its called a catheter. You had a pretty bad UTI so the doctor used one to help fix it." The man watched as Oz digested that information, staring into space with the most comical face possible.

"It's so uncomfortable!" Oz complained, falling back into the bed with a huff. It was an unwelcome presence in his already aching stomach. He wanted it out. Now.

Gil shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry, I can't do anything about that."

Oz groaned, trying to find a comfortable position with the-what did Gil call it, a catheter-in him. He hated it, he hated it so much. He even asked Gil if the doctor would take it out several times, being disappointed with the same answer.

"You're too sick." Gil reasoned, knowing it wasn't what Oz wanted to hear. He figured he would not like the catheter since he got so worked up over the IV. Oz groaned again, close to anxious tears. He was a bit shocked at his sudden change in mood, but he couldn't help but feel severely stressed by what he viewed as his predicament.

Gil frowned when he saw the boy suddenly tear up. He held his hand in his own, giving it a reassuring squeeze. It was a bit odd seeing the shy, anxious side of Oz again, but he had to remember the boy had just been through a lot. Even then, his fear seemed more intense, generalized, and random then before.

Trying to console the child's worry, Gil said, "Think about this way; the longer all the tubes stay in, the faster you can go home." He figured the home card would work, and it did. While he didn't calm down much, Oz seemed to understand that nothing was out to hurt him.

"Why don't you try taking a nap? Breakfast is in an hour. I'll wake you up." Gil suggested.

Oz nodded faintly, trying to calm down still. He played with Gil's hand for a while, contently watching his fingers bounce back to their original position every time he pushed one down. After a few minutes of play his eyes began to droop and he fell asleep.

.o.O.o.

Just as he had promised, Gil woke Oz up to eat breakfast. He had gotten him a simple parfait to start, figuring he wouldn't be able to eat much right away. Gil helped Oz sit up handed him the cup and a spoon before returning to his designated seat at the side of the bed.

Oz opened the lid of the container and lifted a small spoonful into his mouth, slowly chewing the fruit. As he continued to eat his pace picked up a little, causing Gil to smile a bit. It comforted him to see the boy eating something. Before he woke up he had been unconscious for a little over three days. Oz obviously couldn't eat while he was asleep, and the doctors had constantly worried about him because of how skinny he was.

At the moment, Oz was about 10 pounds (about 4.5 kilograms) underweight. Combining that with the amount of cuts he had and the infection he was dealing with was a recipe for disaster. It was a very vulnerable time for Oz; and they were doing everything they could to turn it around and fast. The step they were wanted to work on now that he was awake was trying to get him weight back to a healthier number.

When Oz finished the parfait Gil threw away the plastic for him. He offered to get the boy another, being turned down immediately. Oz said his stomach felt odd, and Gil didn't want to make the child vomit up the little food he'd eaten.

Both of them quickly grew bored. There wasn't much to do in a hospital. There were small tvs at the end of the beds, but there was normally nothing good on. Gil managed to find a station playing an episode of Family Feud, which was an interesting and interactive show. While Steve Harvey asked the contestants the questions Oz and Gil took turns thinking of answers. Oz, surprisingly, was answering with things that were almost always on the board.

"You have to think like everyone else does." Oz said when Gil wondered how he was so good at the answers. "It's not so much as what is really right as what the majority of people think is true."

While they were watching one of the episodes Oz sat up, leaning on one of his knees to keep himself steady. When Gil asked if he was okay he dismissed his worry, claiming it felt better than lying down. He covered his eyes with a hand and sighed, his breath becoming an array of short pants in a matter of minutes. Gil sat up a little straighter, no longer paying attention to the tv.

Gil was about to ask what was wrong when Oz said, "I think I'm gonna be sick." He absolutely hated puking, it always made him worry that he wouldn't be able to breath. Last time he had vomited was a little over 3 years ago, and he really didn't want to go through it again.

Eyes widening a bit, Gil pressed the nurse button again and gently rubbed the boy's back to try and calm him down. He felt Oz's breathing become more erratic as the nausea grew in his stomach, effectively freaking him out. Oz's free hand found one of his, squeezing nervously.

The blond huffed shakily, beginning to feel the gag reflex in his throat. "I don't want to puke." He groaned.

Gil grabbed one of the small trash bins in the room and handed it to Oz, who set it down in between in legs. He let his mouth fall open, both so he could breathe better and because his gag reflex wasn't as strong as when his mouth was closed. Gil sat close to him, a little upset he couldn't really do anything to help him. He pulled his bang out of the way and used the hair tie he always kept on his wrist to put them into the smallest ponytail he'd ever seen.

Oz clamped his mouth shut suddenly as his body lurched one, two, three times. He felt the bile rise in his throat but refused to let it out, swallowing the disgusting taste each time. His throat and nose burned from the acid, causing him to give a pained moan.

On the next lurch Oz couldn't keep himself from vomiting. His hand clutched Gil's as he struggled to breath while he gagged. While Oz's panic freaked Gil out, nothing did a better job of terrifying him than what had come out of the boy's mouth.

It was straight blood.

Gil jumped from his seat, yanking his hand from Oz's and darting to the hallway, pulling in the first nurse he saw. The nurse saw the blood trailing down the child's face, instantly growing worried. She began checking all of the machines attached to him, trying to find a reason why this was happening.

"What is he in the hospital for?" The nurse asked, making sure to keep her voice level and calm.

"Abusive trauma and a urinary tract infection." Gil said quickly, standing out of the way of the nurse.

"Is he on any medications right now?"

"Um, they said they gave him aspirin for the pain."

The nurse hung a new IV bag and connected it to the needle in Oz's arm. "How much?"

Gil frowned; he hadn't really paid attention to that. "650 milligrams?" He guessed.

The nurse nodded. She checked Oz's blood pressure and peered into the the trash bin. "It was probably from the aspirin. I'll have to talk to your doctor and switch you to something else." She gave Oz a gentle pat on the back. Looking to Gil she said, "He'll be fine, the bleeding already stopped."

She left the room, returning a minute later with a bedpan-just in case he was sick again. Even for a while after his stomach settled Oz continued to stress over the fact that, not only had he vomited, but vomited blood. Gil had managed to coax him into lying down again, trying to get him to relax.

It hurt to see him becoming so scared what felt like every few minutes, and over the smallest things. He just couldn't be calm anymore; he constantly expected something to hurt him. That was exactly what Gil was trying to disprove. He wanted to show Oz that he was safe, that Zai was gone forever.

But he wasn't getting it. It wasn't clicking in his mind that there was nothing to be afraid of. To be honest, Gil did expect him to be pretty scared off the bat because he had failed him the first time, allowing him to be kidnapped and abused again. He just wasn't prepared for the intensity Oz was displaying.

He just hoped that over time they could get back to a place where Oz could smile again.

.o.O.o.

 **Done! I wanted to make this chapter a bit longer than the others. How did I do?**

 **I've rewritten chapter 19 and added a bit more to it, if you guys want to go back and take a look. The next chapter will hopefully be out before school starts up again.**

 **Until next time!**


	25. Anxious Much?

_**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **I'm back! Sorry for the wait! The title of this chapter is temporary, I couldn't think of anything XD**

 **I had a lot of fun making this chapter, me and a friend were purposefully plotting ways to make things go wrong for poor little Oz! :) Hope you guys enjoy! I had to keep stopping while I was writing, trying to get myself through some of these scenes. The different emotions were just making it awkward to continue, trying to word it correctly. I'm sorry if the wording is shit.**

 **WARNING: Squeamish people be advised. Mentioning of several medical instances involving needles.**

 **(Also, some thing so those of us that don't know…**

 **Catheter bags are disconnected a few inches from the urethral opening.**

 **The tubing connected to a cath bag connects to another length of tubing that stays inside the bladder unless it needs to be replaced.**

 **A push iv is an iv you put a syringe into to use.**

 **The same syringe cannot be used for two purposes.**

 **Your designated nurse is not the only nurse that will check on you, sometimes they are busy.**

 **Hospitals allow family members to help nurses with anxiety patients.)**

.o.O.o.

After seeing Oz panic when he vomited, Gil had thought he'd seen the worst of the boy's panic (not including phobias, those are an entirely different matter.) He was proved horribly wrong, though, and by something he wouldn't have expected him to worry all that much about.

It was slowly becoming dark outside, giving a glimpse of the coming night. Oz's designated nurse was doing rounds, checking all the patients under his care. When he entered Oz's room he was carrying an empty catheter bag. He set it down on the bed and moved to disconnect the bag already attached to Oz's catheter.

The hospital personnel were aware that Oz was an anxiety patient when he came in, and made precautions in case they had to work around it. One of these precautions had been to assign him a same sex nurse and doctor. However, their actions unknowingly did more harm than good, since after being raped and abused by a man he was less likely to trust a male stranger.

Whether this made an impact on the boy's initial panic, Gil would never know. Oz flinched away from the nurse's hand every time he attempted to grab the tubing. Gil tried to calm him down a bit, though his presence didn't do much because of the sheer amount of anxiety he was in. Oz didn't want the nurse working so close to his crotch. It was severely stressful for him to try and sit still and quite frankly near impossible.

After only a few seconds of attempting to get the boy to sit still long enough so he could switch the bags, the nurse turned to Gil. "Sir, would you like to help me?" He asked politely, knowing he wasn't going to get this done by himself.

Gil's eyes widened a bit; he didn't know he was allowed to help the nurses with anything. He looked to Oz for a moment, who seemed to calm slightly at the thought of someone he knew doing it instead. He nodded and stood next to the nurse, waiting for instructions.

The nurse handed him some plastic gloves to put on. "Just a precaution." He explained. He then began instructing Gil on how to switch the bags. When Gil found the connector and pulled the tubing out Oz hid his face in his pillow. He couldn't watch this; it was too embarrassing.

Since Gil wasn't an experienced nurse and didn't do things like this on a daily basis, he had to move the blanket a bit so he could see what he was doing. Oz hesitantly moved away, though he was a lot more cooperative than he had been with the nurse.

While Gil connected the new bag, he attempted to not look directly at Oz, knowing it unnerved the boy for anyone to see him naked. Despite this, he couldn't help but notice a large bruise covering most of his groin. He frowned, not wanting to know what had caused it but curious at the same time.

It was quickly over, and the nurse left to finish doing his rounds. Gil threw away the gloves and sat down next to Oz, who was still partially hiding behind the pillow. He thought it was slightly amusing and cute, but it was also an understandable reaction. It wasn't every day that he was in a hospital with all these seemingly scary things attached to and inside of him, and then have a stranger reach underneath his blanket and handle him so personally.

That situation in general was a really bad thing for Oz specifically, but it couldn't be helped. It was near impossible to get through a hospital stay without one of the staff seeing a patient naked. They obviously didn't care; it was normal to them, but it was still awkward for everyone else.

Oz finally stopped hiding behind the pillow, but he still held it tightly in his arms and rested his chin on it. Whenever his eyes connected with Gil's he looked away and blushed, completely embarrassed about what had happened a few minutes ago.

Gil said nothing, figuring it wouldn't do any good. Instead, he ignored the child's discomfort and acted like everything was fine. It was a good way to show Oz through example that there was nothing to get worked up about. He hoped that in this way he could teach the blond to not fear certain circumstances. While he could maybe get Oz to be less afraid of letting someone change the catheter for him, he was well aware they'd probably have to start his exposure training all. over. again.

That was going to be a lot of work and patience. Sometimes he had to remind himself that he needed to just be patient with Oz. He could never bring himself to be upset by anything the boy did out of fear, but he easily grew frustrated if he didn't see any change with his actions. That being said, redoing everything again with his shyness and anxiety was going to be a challenge.

Oz slowly relaxed over time, reacting to Gil's calm demeanor. They didn't do much as they were both exhausted but they did sit quietly, just being with each other. Sometimes just being was more than enough, and that was definitely the case with Oz. Just being another human close by to the boy gave him comfort. It was all he needed most of the time, someone to just be there with him. He didn't have to be occupied like most teenagers his age; he only needed a companion.

It was a simple and easy thing to fulfill. There were no strings attached as the boy would never attempt to stop someone from coming and going as they pleased. Gil couldn't see how anyone could easily leave him alone though, especially in such a weak state. He himself had managed to work out a deal with his boss so he could have a week to take care of Oz. Even when he went back to work he was either going to bring the boy with him or bring him to Reim's. He had learned from his mistakes, and he wasn't going to ever leave Oz alone again if he could help it.

Oz never asked for Gil to stay when he wanted him to or mentioned something he wanted or needed. He didn't have to because Gil understood the subtle things he did that indicated the requests; a slight droop in his eyes, a sideways glance at an object, a downwards gaze not noticeable to anyone but himself. They were like a secret language that only Oz and Gil understood.

Gil always worried for Oz because of this. He was always worried about what would happen if he wasn't around and the boy couldn't bring himself to vocalize what he needed. He had already had plenty of examples of Oz's reluctance to admit to anyone anything implying humanity. Now that he thought about it, Gil had never heard the boy say he was hungry, thirsty, tired, hot, cold, bored, lonely, or needed to go to the bathroom; things most people said on a daily basis. They would have to work on that when Oz was discharged.

He only had a day or two before the doctor was going to allow him to go home. It wasn't a very long time to wait, but Oz couldn't wait for it to be over. He hated being confined to a bed, having needles impaling him, and having a catheter in place despite his protests. While he wasn't as afraid of the tubes anymore, their presence still unnerved him. Especially when he had to be reminded of their existence whenever a nurse checked them.

Oz couldn't wait to go home, but he was too tired to care all that much at the moment. He fell asleep with the pillow still clutched to his chest, causing Gil to smile. Gil wasn't too far behind Oz, though, and soon followed him to the dream world.

.o.O.o.

Gil woke up in the middle of the night for seemingly no reason at all. He lifted his head from where it rested in his arms on the side of Oz's bed, looking around the room. There wasn't a nurse anywhere, and an alarm hadn't gone off on any of the machines. Oz still seemed fairly relaxed as he slept as well so he assumed he hadn't woken him up.

He was relieved for the fact that Oz was still asleep; the boy had been waking up frequently in a haze of panic. Oz said he was having nightmares of his father, each one recounting a different experience from his past. Every time he woke up screaming he startled Gil awake and a nurse or two would peek in to make sure he was alright. It was hard for Gil to calm him down, to bring him back to reality when his mind was so far gone.

Because of these nightmares, or at least the crippling anxiety they brought on, Oz's doctor was convinced he was suffering from PTSD; post traumatic stress disorder. Essentially, after the trauma of being abused and raped for nine years, he couldn't deal with any situation resembling a past event he linked with fear. That being said, it was hard for him to do anything by himself, even sleep.

The man laid his head back down, breathing a relaxed sigh. He didn't try to sleep right away, enjoying the calm atmosphere of the night. The only sound in the room was the low, constant beeping on the heart monitor. Most of the lights were off as well, with the exception of a light next to the equipment. Night was the most peaceful time to Gil, there was next to no activity and it was quiet and dark.

Gil heard a faint click straying from the rhythm of the heart monitor and looked up to see where it had come from. The door was already open, so it couldn't have been that and Oz was the only patient in the room. He glanced at Oz again, seeing that he was now awake. Instead of the calm, relaxed expression he wore while he was asleep his brow was now slightly furrowed in discomfort.

Gilbert sat up and moved Oz's hair out of his face. "Is everything okay?" He inferred everything was not in fact okay, realizing the click as the nurse button being pressed. At first he thought maybe Oz's stomach was hurting, but when he asked the boy shook his head. He said he wasn't nauseous either. Nightmare? No, he wouldn't have pressed the button then.

The man was completely lost; he couldn't think of a reason why Oz would be uncomfortable, and the boy refused to say why. The two locked eyes, Oz's trying to form an explanation and Gil's attempting to decode it. Oz shifted uncomfortably, a frown ghosting over his face. Gil mirrored the expression, feeling like he was missing something.

Oz's gaze traveled down to the catheter bag, then back to Gil. Confused, Gil stood and checked it. It had been about 4 hours since the last time it was changed, but something about it was off. There was substantially less liquid inside of it than you'd expect over 4 hours, regardless if Oz was asleep or not. Gil looked to see if the tubing had disconnected, but it hadn't.

After realizing that something was wrong with the catheter, Gil's next thought was how Oz had known there was something wrong. He'd been sleeping a few moments ago, and even if he had been awake what would have tipped him off? If he had just known, Oz would've woken Gil up, not called the nurse.

Gil sat back down, wondering what exactly he was supposed to tell the nurse when they arrived. He knew he wouldn't be taken seriously if he just said 'I think there's something wrong with the catheter.' He looked at Oz, seeing the boy's eyes soften a bit now that he partially understood what was wrong.

"Do you need to pee?" Gil guessed, figuring that, if he said he wasn't in pain, it was the only other way he would be uncomfortable enough to summon a nurse. He was certain Oz had grown to distrust nurses in general, seeing as how he didn't like anything they did.

Oz's face flushed in embarrassment and he nodded. "On a scale of one to ten, how bad?" Gil asked, knowing he had to coax the answer out of him. Because this was still considered a taboo subject to the blonde, he wasn't going to share that kind of information without being prompted.

Oz took a moment to think before he answered. "Eight or nine." He admitted, a little afraid Gil would be upset with him. He had no logical reason for feeling that way and he knew it was a stupid fear, yet he was still afraid. Unable to look his friend in the eyes anymore he chose to stare at his lap instead, toying with the fabric of his blanket nervously.

Gil frowned. He was surprised how calm Oz was being if the number he gave was accurate. Any other person would have began whining awhile ago and definitely would have brought it up when they first had to pee, considering the fact that he had in a catheter. It truly amazed him how well the child could hide his pain and discomfort. It was a skill that took most people decades to learn to do effectively and he had learned it in less than one.

Soon a female nurse entered the room. As soon as Gil saw her he gave her a polite nod of recognition before he spoke. "He says he needs to use the bathroom, but he has a catheter in place. I think there may be something wrong with it." Gil explained, purposefully using the word bathroom, knowing Oz appreciated the use of a more generalized term.

The nurse immediately began checking the catheter, making sure there were no kinks or tears in the tubing. "That's definitely odd." She stated, lifting the blanket just enough to see the rest of the device, looking for anything that would cause it to work incorrectly. "It must have gotten blocked." The nurse said as she straightened. "We'll have to replace it."

Oz's immediate reaction was to worry. His heart began to race and his breathing quickened as he started to freak out. There was no way in hell he was going to let her stick something else inside him. No fucking way.

She left the room to get what she needed, leaving Oz and Gil alone. Gil gently ruffled Oz's hair, and knowing that the boy was already beginning to stress over having to get the catheter replaced said, "You're okay." He let his hand come to rest on the boy's chest, offering a light and warm pressure for him to focus on. Oz held Gil's hand in his, worriedly playing with the man's fingers.

Gil's hand rose and fell sporadically as Oz's breathing began to hitch. The man could tell he was battling anxious tears and seemed to lose when a single tear tracked down his face. He knew Oz was obsessing over what the nurse was going to do to him; and he knew he was only succeeding in freaking himself out more.

Gil murmured periodic words of consolement to the blond, hoping to stop him from becoming hysterical. Unlike Oz, he trusted the hospital personnel, but he couldn't see how the nurse was going to manage to switch out the catheter while Oz was awake. He was definitely not going to sit still enough for that.

The nurse returned with a new catheter set, a bottle of medicine, and a syringe. She set them all down on the bed next to Oz. "Before I do this I'm going to give you something to relax you okay?" She said, having noticed the note above the bed indicating he was an anxiety patient. She filled the syringe with some of the medicine and gently grabbed the boy's push iv.

Oz went to look at the needle in the nurse's hand but Gil covered his eyes before he could. If he couldn't see the sharp object then he wouldn't be as scared. Oz held Gilbert's wrist, his grip tight. The nurse injected the medicine and put away the syringe before unpacking the catheter set. Oz's grip relaxed almost instantaneously on his guardian's wrist, his quick and ragged breathing and his racing heart quieted as well. He felt a lot calmer seconds after the injection, though a tiny fragment of his anxiety remained.

The nurse unpacked the catheter set and made sure Oz was feeling calm before she started. As soon as he felt her touch him Oz turned his head towards Gil, looking away from her even though Gil's hand was still covering his eyes. "Don't look, okay?" Oz asked in a small voice.

Gil replied, "Of course", knowing the words were meant for him. He angled his chair so he could only see Oz's face, carefully watching the teen's expression. Despite being sedated, a light frown remained on his face and he squeezed Gil's wrist whenever he started to worry. Gil could feel the boy's face heating up in embarrassment as well.

Oz gently bit on his finger, impatiently waiting for the whole thing to be over. His stomach was beginning to hurt again because he needed to pee so bad. He mentioned this to Gil, not saying why he was in pain. The man murmured, "I know." He knew why the boy's stomach hurt, even if he didn't want him to. "It'll feel better in a minute." He promised, gently petting Oz's hair.

The nurse finished switching the catheters and hung the bag, gathering the trash and throwing it away as she left. Gil uncovered Oz's eyes and watched them close half way, an effect from the sedation. Just as Gil promised, the pain in Oz's stomach subsided.

Normally, Oz would have been awake for at least another hour, too highly strung to relax. Because he was sedated, though, he fell asleep within minutes. His hand still held onto Gil's, making the man smile.

Gilbert leaned over the boy and gently kissed his forehead. "Goodnight."

 **Omg, finally done! This took so longgggggggggggg…..**

 **I kept changing my mind, I was gonna have him be allergic to the sedation and go into cardiac arrest. After some research, this has like a 10% survival rate and then you die like 5 years later. Not my little Oz, not happening.**

 **I hope I did okay this chapter, I was having trouble describing Oz's thoughts at some points. Like, I've never been sedated, so I don't know how he's going to be feeling to a dot.**

 **Anyways, until next time!**


	26. Promise Me

_**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Hey, I'm back!**

 **Before this starts, I'm just gonna say I can't believe I'm here, chapter 23. It's amazing.**

 **No warnings.**

 **Enjoy!**

.o.O.o.

The next morning, Oz was allowed to go home. He was obviously excited, but it also sucked because he had to get all the tubes removed. He hated them, but it wasn't a pleasant feeling having a needle slid out of his arm.

Because he still had a slight UTI, he was sent home with a round of antibiotics to clear it up. For his stitches, he was simply restricted from doing anything strenuous so they wouldn't rip. They warned them that Oz might have a bit of trouble going longer periods of time without using the bathroom because he'd had a catheter in so long. Other than that, they had no concerns.

At first, Gil assumed Oz would be able to go at least one to two hours without using the bathroom. He was proven horribly wrong when the boy nearly pissed himself on the half hour drive home. It was probably also from his UTI, which must have made it worse, but it was still a shockingly short time.

When the two got home, they ate a small lunch and both of them took a shower; Gil making sure to be much quicker than usual, as he normally took up to an hour. Once they got situated they laid down on the couch together.

They never turned the TV on or even really talked. They just cuddled together, enjoying being home after a month and a half. Unfortunately, they couldn't get as comfortable as Gil wanted because Oz had to keep getting up to use the bathroom. He never told Gil he needed to use the bathroom though, he just climbed off the couch every time wordlessly.

While Gil understood he didn't want to voice it and it quite frankly was so obvious he didn't need to, but he still wished the boy would say it every once and awhile. What was he going to do if they were out somewhere and he refused to tell him? While before he probably could've lasted a few hours, he'd be lucky to hold it a few minutes now. He knew it bothered Oz a lot to have to go so much but Gil saw it as a way to help him not be so shy about it.

The boy tried to not drink anything, hoping it would lengthen the time between trips. Gil wouldn't let him though and kept telling him to drink something every few hours. Despite not liking it, Oz didn't know the definition of the word 'disobedient' and as such obeyed his guardian.

Around 5 at night Gil got up to cook dinner, allowing Oz to watch but not help. It wasn't that he was worried the boy's stitches would rip, but he knew Oz was so weak from not eating for nearly a month and being bedridden for another week that he could barely stand on his own. It would be near impossible for him to pick up something as light as a pot.

Oz attempted to sit on the counter and watch Gil like he used to, but he couldn't pull himself up. After several tries he let Gil boost him up, a little upset he couldn't do it by himself. Only a few minutes later he had to have Gil help him off because he had to pee. Gil didn't let him get away without actually telling him he needed to use the bathroom, refusing to help him down until he said it. Oz gave him an upset but non threatening glare, crossing his arms and legs and waiting until he couldn't hold it to spill.

By the time he was back Gil had finished cooking. He made rice with cut up chicken a bunch of different vegetables in it, something that kind of resembled Chinese food. It was something that could easily be reheated, since he knew Oz wasn't going to eat much and might get hungry later on.

Oz ate fairly slow and only managed to finish half of what Gil had given him. It was actually a lot more than Gil expected; he'd given him what he normally ate so he could figure out his much less he could finish. He'd expected maybe a third of the portion and was fairly content with the blond.

Soon after dinner, Oz was falling asleep. After sleeping so much at the hospital he wasn't used to being awake for very long. That being said, Gil sent him to bed early and relaxed downstairs for about two hours until he got tired as well.

Before he went to bed he checked on Oz, making sure he didn't need anything. He also looked to see if the bed was wet; if the boy couldn't even hold it for an hour while he was awake, he didn't expect him to do any better asleep. Thankfully, it was dry, but he still woke Oz up to go to the bathroom. It turned out that he did need to pee when Gil woke him up, so Gil was happy he'd woken him.

After he was sure Oz was fine Gil laid down in his own bed and fell asleep.

.o.O.o.

Gil was the first to wake up the next morning. Before he did anything else he woke Oz up as well, finding to his dismay that waking Oz up in the middle of the night didn't keep him from wetting the bed. Luckily Oz didn't stress about it for long and took a quick shower while Gil cleaned his bed.

Afterwards, while Gil was making breakfast he asked, "Do you want to do anything today?"

Oz swung his legs from the counter while he thought. "We can go over to Reim's house." He suggested. He had grown to like the adult after the camping trip, and he wanted to see Alice again.

Gil smiled a bit, happy to know he hadn't become antisocial over the last month. "That sounds like fun." He said. To be honest, he was a little worried what would happen with his bathroom issue. The first time he had been over Reim's, he wouldn't have used the bathroom even if he needed to; now it was a question of how he would react when he needed to. He just hoped he'd be able to use the bathroom without any problems. If that was the case, maybe he'd let his reluctance to say when he had to pee slide.

Reim was happy to have them over. Since Elliot and Leo had gone home for the time being in Tenesee, the house was a lot more quite. Alice was less aggressive now that she didn't have anyone to bicker with, something Oz was happy for. Gil and Reim talked to each other while they sat in a pair of recliners; Reim asking how the whole situation with Oz was going and Gil inquiring about how work was going without him.

"It must be a lot less boring at home now that Oz is back." Reim stated, knowing his friend frequented at his house before he'd adopted Oz because he hated being alone at his. He'd stopped coming as much when Oz first came home with him, mostly because of all the issues he needed to work out with him before he could begin to socialize. Gil had come over almost every day, though, the month Oz was gone, saying he couldn't stand the empty building.

Gil smiled. "Yeah. We haven't done much yet but definitely no longer boring." He said.

"What about his bathroom issue?" Reim asked, having been told about it privately when the boy first visited his house. He made sure to keep a hand over his mouth so neither of the teens could decipher his speech if they looked over, keeping his voice low.

Gil shrugged. "I think it's better than it used to be, he was the one that suggested we come over. But after the hospital visit he can't really hold it anymore." He explained, mimicking his friend's posture.

Reim nodded in understanding. "That's understandable." He glanced over at Oz and Alice, seeing them carrying on their own conversation idly. "He seems to get along so well with Alice." He said with a smile. She was normally a little too ambitious for most people. Who would have thought a shy boy like Oz would befriend her so easily.

Gil smiled as well. "Yeah, I can't believe it." Alice was fairly nice to him compared to how she was with himself. They could bicker for hours, but the most she would give him was a punch in the arm. Even then her touch was gentler than normal, as if she thought he was fragile.

"Alice kept asking about him while he was gone. She wanted to visit you guys." Reim paused. "I think she likes him."

Gil watched the two talk, noticing how brightly Oz smiled when he was around her. It neared the smiles he gave him when they were home alone. "I think he might like her too." He admitted. Alice could be a major prick, but if she was nice to Oz he could come to terms with them having feelings for each other.

The adults proceeding to gossip like teenage girls, facial expressions and hand movements included. They were easily caught up in their own little world and started to fly. While Gil never forgot that Oz had a significantly smaller bladder now, he stopped continuously checking to see if he needed to pee. He still occasionally glanced over at him, but it wasn't often enough for him to catch on when Oz started to squirm slightly in his seat.

Alice didn't pay it any mind either, having no reason to suspect what was wrong. She did notice, however, that Oz had started looking over his shoulder every few minutes at Gil, hoping he'd eventually meet his eyes. While she took no offense to it, every few times he turned around she would give him a light punch or shove to get his attention. She also noticed that Oz tended to smile when she did that, acting like someone who was given a hug or a kiss. It was odd to her, but she wasn't complaining.

After a minute Oz shifted so his legs were crossed and his arms rested over the back of the couch, cocking his head in Alice's direction. This was the first sign Gil noticed that Oz needed to use the bathroom; it was interesting that while he looked completely comfortable to Alice or Reim, he could tell he was fairly distressed. They weren't around him enough to know that he never sat with one leg above the other comfortably, making the simple change in posture a screaming sign to anyone who knew how to see it.

He chose to wait for a few minutes before he brought the boy to the bathroom. Reim was going to be his go to babysitter for Oz when he was busy, and it gave him a chance to show his friend exactly what it looked like when Oz needed something. Teaching him the simple changes in Oz's body language was one of the things he knew would save everyone some grief in the long run.

When Oz shot Gil a desperate look he knew it was smart to bring him to the bathroom. He leaned on the door while the boy used the bathroom, finding to his delight he didn't have any trouble. Oz started to walk back to the living room but was stopped when Gil held onto his shirt.

"Oz, next time you need to pee, can you please try and say something?" Gilbert asked kindly. "I know it's hard for you, but can you try?"

Oz stood still and looked Gil in the eyes, his gaze indecisive. He thought for a minute, deciding whether or not he should commit to what his guardian asked. Eventually he gave a small nod of agreement.

Gil smiled and pulled Oz into a hug. "Thank you." A promise was a good place to start.

 **Done! I wanted to take this in another direction, but it didn't work out all that much :( I still like this idea though.**

 **Poor Oz, I think it's so sad he can't even lift a cooking pot. He's such a little cutie XD I'm sorry if this didn't have as many internal thoughts as usual, I didn't see many places to add them and not seem excessive.**

 **Until next time!**


	27. These Kind of Wounds They Last and They

_**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **hello, I'm back again with another chapter! Sorry for the wait on this one, I had trouble thinking of the next part of the plot.**

 **No warnings. Except for a shitload of parental fluff. XD**

 **Enjoy!**

.o.O.o. (The next day)

Gil gently shook Oz's shoulder as he tried to wake him up. He'd been asleep for an awfully long time and had only gotten up each time Gil told him to use the bathroom. Each time he'd needed a little help getting around, being too weak to get up on his own. It was close to noon, and he still couldn't seem to get the boy to stay awake longer than five minutes. While he knew Oz was sleeping more than usual, this seemed excessive.

Oz woke with a start, his body twitching and tensing for a moment defensively. Tired eyes fell upon his guardian and he relaxed, closing his eyes again. Gil pulled the covers off of him in an attempt to get a reaction out of him, though he didn't seem to care. Confused, Gil sat the boy up and felt his forehead.

"Are you okay?" He asked worriedly. Oz was acting really weird. He was running a fever, and he looked sick.

Oz sighed and shook his head lightly, struggling to sit up on his own. "I don't feel very good." He mumbled, leaning forward into Gil for support. His eyes closed again, though he didn't go back to sleep.

Gilbert frowned. "Well what do you mean?" He asked. The boy's response was too general for him to help him.

"My head and stomach hurt." Oz whispered, anything louder being too much for him at the moment. The light was hurting his eyes as well, which was why he preferred them closed.

"Okay." Gil said, lowering his voice as well. "Let's get you dressed." He stood and picked out some clothes for the blond before helping him into them. Oz was half awake the whole time, clinging to his guardian's shirt to stay on his feet. Gil smiled at how much trust was in his actions, allowing him to help him while he could barely keep his eyes open. There was a time when Oz wouldn't have been comfortable enough with him to let him help him switch his clothes.

While it was a challenge, Gil eventually succeeded in dressing the boy. He picked him up bridal style and carried him down the stairs, setting him down on the couch. He went to the kitchen and grabbed a special ice pack he kept for headaches and sat down next to Oz, who had already fallen asleep again.

Gil shook him awake again. "Here, this should help your head." He said as he placed the ice pack over the boy's eyes. It had an elastic strap attached to it so it couldn't fall off, making it look like a pair of cheap goggles you couldn't see out of.

The cold felt weird to Oz, as he'd never had an ice pack on his face. He pulled his bangs out of the band and looked around for a second, attempting to find Gil despite being unable to see. Gil smiled at the behavior, finding it super cute. "It feels weird." Oz said, noticing how the cold was starting to make the pain go away but at the same time made his eyes uncomfortably cold. He moved his head backwards as if trying to pull away from the cold, making Gil laugh.

"I would assume so. You've never used it before." Gil replied. He helped Oz to lie down with one of the couch pillows, making sure he didn't fall. "Do you want anything to eat?" He asked, figuring the boy was going to turn it down.

Oz shook his head. "No thank you."

"Alright." Gil said. He got up and made himself something to eat, always keeping an eye on the boy. As soon as he'd been left alone he fell asleep again, remaining completely motionless on the couch. It amazed Gil how fast he could drift off; whenever he himself got sick he was forever doomed to stay awake.

After he finished eating he moved back to the couch, lifting Oz into his lap. This didn't wake him up though and he continued to doze, deaf to the world. Gil was happy to see how trusting he was being even after the month he was away. He had no doubts about how Gil would treat him while he was asleep and was completely relaxed. A few days ago Oz would wake up at the slightest touch, always on edge in the hospital.

He was always so calm at Gil's house. It was like he associated the place with feeling safe. He had no reason to associate it with anything else; Gil had never reprimanded the boy for anything because he never did anything wrong.

Having nothing better to do, Gil simply laid on the couch and cuddled with the boy while he slept, hoping he'd be feeling better when he woke up. This was the first time Oz had been sick while in Gil's care, and he didn't know what to expect. So far, it seemed like the boy simply slept until he was better, which would make it easy to take care of him. Though at the moment it was a bit of work since he had to wake him up every hour or so to use the bathroom. It was the most annoying and repetitive task, and both of them were growing tired of it. It was much better than the alternative, but still.

When the ice pack grew warm Gil put in back in the freezer but didn't grab another one since Oz's fever had gone down. He laid down with the boy again and covered them both with a blanket, creating a warm cocoon around them both. It was slowly getting colder as autumn approached, causing the temperature of the room to drop a few degrees.

Oz smiled in his sleep, tucking his head underneath Gil's chin. He let out a relaxed huff as he fell into a deeper sleep, becoming completely motionless. Gil smiled at him; he was too cute. When he cuddled with him he was like a little teddy bear, but he was so warm he might as well have been an oven. Gil could wear a jacket made of ice but he would still sweat whenever Oz cuddled up to him. It was something nice for the winter, but it was a little uncomfortable any other time of year. That wouldn't stop them from lying around together though.

Despite the bit of discomfort the heat that was Oz brought, there was something relaxing about it. It made Gil just as tired as Oz looked while he was awake, causing him to doze off as well. He figured Oz would be fine for now, and if he needed anything he'd wake him up, intentionally or not.

.o.O.o.

A little over two hours later, Oz was the first one to wake up. His headache had mostly faded and his stomach was feeling a lot better; and while he still felt fairly tired he was at least mentally awake now. There was a comforting warm but nonexistent pressure keeping him where he was. He wouldn't want to move either, he felt nice and warm, especially in his stomach.

His lower half felt much hotter than his upper half. He assumed it was because the blanket had slipped off his shoulders and now only covered his hips and down. He sighed slightly and shifted ever so slightly so that his head rested on Gil's chest instead of his shoulder. This new position moved the rest of him down a bit and forced him to look down because of how he was lying, but it didn't bother him much.

He left his eyes open, trying to stay awake for a few minutes and salvage the relaxed atmosphere floating in between him and his guardian. His eyes traced the outline of the blanket and his and Gil's clothes, a task to keep them focused. After a moment his gaze feel upon the place on Gil's stomach he'd been lying on a second ago, noticing that the color of his shirt was darker there.

Oz curiously lifted his head just enough to get a good look at it, realizing it was wet. His eyes widened, noticing for the first time that he was completely soaked. His mind deadpanned, afraid of what that meant; but that wasn't even the worst part. He hadn't just pissed himself, but he still was.

He'd woken up in the middle of peeing his pants, but didn't realize it until now. He immediately wanted to jump off of Gil, certain he was soaked too, but stopped before he did because he knew it would wake him up. He didn't know what to do, he was afraid Gil was going to be mad at him. He'd wet the bed several times and the man wasn't bothered by it, but this time he'd peed on him too, which was an entirely different situation.

He could feel the warm liquid running down his legs and pooling under his stomach, two sensations he hated with a burning passion. It was a horrible feeling he'd unfortunately experienced far more times than he wished he had. Gil was going to be so mad. He wanted to cry, this was so embarrassing. It was bad enough having to deal with having to pee twenty times a day and now this was happening.

Having no better ideas, he simply laid stock still, hoping Gil wouldn't wake up until he was at least finished; It would be a little less awkward that way. To his dismay, his plan was fairly counterintuitive and his sudden rigidness woke Gilbert up. The man seemed completely unaware of what was happening, only noticing that Oz was awake.

"How are you feeling?" Gil asked quietly, making sure to keep his voice low in case Oz's head still hurt. His words cause Oz to sit up in alarm, having not known Gil was awake. Because of how they'd been lying he was now partially straddling the man, unfortunately making it easy for him to see their wet clothes.

It only took Gilbert a second to realize what was happening. He looked up at Oz, his expression neutral; though Oz was waiting for it to turn angry. He tried to climb off of his guardian; he just wanted to be away from this situation. Gil reacted before he could get far though, grabbing his hips and holding him in place firmly. "Don't move!" Gil said quickly, startled by the child's sudden movement. "You're going to make a mess." Oz was still peeing, so it was better for him to stay in one place for the time being.

Oz's breath hitched. He'd already made a mess. He covered his mouth with one hand and looked away from Gil, tears streaming down his face. This was all his fault, he fucked up. Gil was pissed (word play, lol). While Gil's tone had been concerned, the quick manner it was spoken in he had interpreted as angry.

Gil sighed, wanting to comfort him but couldn't; he had to almost hold Oz down so he wouldn't run. Every few seconds he lightly pulled at his grip, hoping vainly he'd let go and he could escape. Oz was crying openly now, completely terrified.

The blond closed his legs, both to try and stop himself from peeing and because it unnerved him how blatantly obvious it was what he was doing when they were open. This didn't work however, as he continued to pee and the new position didn't hide it very well. In fact, instead of pouring off his already drenched clothes the urine cascaded over his lap and traveled down his thighs in small rivoulets.

After another minute he finally finished peeing and Gil didn't have to hold him down anymore. He pulled the child down into a hug before he could run. "Oh, Oz don't cry." He didn't have to cry, it was partially his fault for falling asleep without setting some kind of alarm so he could bring Oz to the bathroom.

"I'm sorry." Oz whimpered, beginning to shake in fear.

Gil frowned. "Don't be, it's my fault. I should've woken you up." Gil apologized, knowing it wasn't going to calm him down. "I'm not angry." He said, knowing that's probably what he assumed.

Oz pulled out of the hug just enough to look at Gil. "But I peed on you!" He cried, unable to believe Gil was really fine with it.

"So?" Gil countered, trying to get Oz to understand why he wasn't upset. "All I have to do is take a shower. And I've seen you piss your pants so many times there should be no question that I'm not upset with you." He pointed out, his voice becoming stern.

Oz blushed hard and hid his face in the man's shoulder, wishing he hadn't brought that up. "I know." He said, his voice wobbling. "I just hate having to pee all the time." It was such a nuisance, to him it was just plain annoying.

Gil sighed. "Oz, you're sick. It's normal to have trouble getting back to normal after what you've been through. Stop beating yourself up." He pleaded, sitting them both up. He wiped the tears off the boy's face and pet his hair, trying to make him feel better.

"Let's get cleaned up." Gil said, climbing off the couch. "I'll be right back." He left and took a three minute shower, just long enough to clean himself up. When he descended the stairs to get Oz he'd stopped crying and begrudgingly allowed himself to be carried to the bathroom.

Gil set him down on the toilet while he ran a bath and grabbed the boy a new set of clothes. While he was feeling better than he had that morning, he was still too weak to stand long enough to take a shower. Despite this he didn't really want a bath either, they weren't exactly something he remembered as innocent.

When Gil finished preparing everything he undressed the boy, noticing he was being severely shy. He wanted to laugh a little, having done the exact same thing that morning, but chose not to. He helped Oz into the tub and threw his wet clothes in the washer with his own.

Oz pulled his knees up to his chest, finding the situation a bit awkward. While he told himself it was fine and was sure he'd get used it soon enough, it was weird to let Gil see him naked. It had already happened a few times before, but this was the first time he was fully sober and awake.

Thankfully, Gil let Oz do everything himself but still stayed, afraid the boy might fall asleep and drown. Whenever Oz's head lowered he would lightly tap his chin to wake him up again. He also promised to keep his eyes on Oz's face, knowing the child was self conscious about his body. His face was the place with the least amount of stitches and scars and as such he preferred for it to be the center of attention.

Gil had taken notice of Oz's few scars when they went swimming and when he happened to just see one out of nowhere. He never mentioned them, though, figuring there would be a time where he would learn their stories. At the moment, he discovered a new scar he'd never known about.

The single circular mark where his chin and neck met. Gil immediately recognized it as a memento from a bullet wound, instantly fearing for Oz. He hoped to god that wasn't self inflicted. The placing of the mark resembled one of an attempted suicide, but he didn't want to think that. It would hurt too much to think that Oz had tried to kill himself, and he decided he wouldn't believe it unless the boy told him it was true.

Oz saw his guardian's face fall and asked if he was okay. Gil for obvious reason faked a smile and acted like everything was fine. He dried the boy off and helped him into his clothes, starting up a simple conversation when he saw Oz's shy side returning. Acting as if seeing him like this was an everyday thing would eventually teach him to be comfortable with it.

He finished his task and smiled at the boy. "There. All better." It seemed like an unneeded remark, but he felt that it needed to be pointed out to Oz. He leaned in and kissed his forehead. "I love you."

For the first time since he woke up, Oz managed a smile. "I love you too."

 **Awwwwwwwwwww! XD Done! Yay! I had so much fun writing this chapter.**

 **I brought back the gunshot wound, I hope you guys didn't forget about it! This was fairly fun to write, I fangirled the whole time. XD Look at Gilbert, using his daddy voice. The idea for this came to me like 3 hours ago, so this was a very impulsive chapter.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed. Please remember to leave a review, all are greatly appreciated and helpful. If there's something you'd like to see happen, let me know! I'll be making a bonus chapter of random fluff moments at the end of this fic, and I need a lot of ideas!**

 **Until next time!**


	28. Sick Day

_**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Hey, back again with another chapter! Sorry for the wait!**

 **There is more fluff and plenty of it in this chapter. I was fangirling and laughing the whole time (until the doctor visit, then I was having trouble wording everything it was so awkward). There is another trip to the doctor's this chapter, and in any other situation than the one I wrote it would be awkward AF. Especially if Oz was fully conscious XD.**

 **Also, the next few chapters were supposed to be kind of scattered, but because I needed buffer space between the last few chapters and something else so I pulled them forward. In a way they're filler chapters, but they still have a plot and are fun to read XD. I promise I'm not a sadist. I don't torture Oz for the fun of it. That was one time. Don't judge me.**

 **Enjoy!**

.o.O.o.

The next morning, Gilbert had an even harder time getting Oz out of bed. He just wouldn't wake up. The closest he got to consciousness was a half awake state where he could follow orders and mumble. This was beginning to really worry Gil, as he feared that Oz was getting sick. As soon as the doctor's office opened he called in and scheduled an appointment, hoping to figure out why Oz was basically unconscious.

Since the appointment wasn't for several hours, Gil had to do his best to care for Oz until then. This was quite the challenge. Oz couldn't walk around, so every time he needed to pee Gil had to carry him to the bathroom and hold him up while he went. Because he wasn't truly awake the whole time he didn't get embarrassed and freeze, which Gil was thankful for.

He also had to spoon feed him, which in its own way was harder than the bathroom trips. Oz kept drifting off, and it took Gil a while to rouse him enough to chew. It would probably be easier to wake him if he was rougher, but he didn't want to hurt Oz. He refused to even pinch the kid, worried it would be too rough for him.

Even though it was a pain, it was the cutest thing ever, and it almost felt like he was caring for a baby. Oz couldn't enunciate very well, being to exhausted to put in the necessary effort. He was able to say Gil's name though, and the tone in which he called his guardian mimicked the meanings behind a baby's cry. In a few short hours Gilbert learned which tone meant he was hungry, cold, hot, or needed to pee.

No matter how much the teen slept, he never seemed to be ready to wake up. He may have begun to find it easier to stay conscious, but he could never even open his eyes. It was like they were glued shut. He was also never able to hold himself up enough to even sit without support, so he was always with Gil. The man couldn't leave him alone for more than a few minutes at a time for fear something would go wrong.

Gil couldn't help but smile whenever he saw how relaxed Oz was. He wasn't afraid of anything, and he probably could bring himself to care enough to feel fear. Oz's life was essentially in Gil's hands, and he trusted him fully with it. He was nothing but complaint with the man's instructions, trusting him completely.

When it was finally time to bring Oz to the doctors Gil carried him to the car and buckled him in. It was about an hour drive, which allowed Oz to sleep for a while undisturbed. It didn't really matter though, since it didn't seem to make him any less tired. The office was dead when they arrived as well, so within minutes the doctor was ready to see them.

As the doctor examined Oz Gil stood next to her, holding the child up so he didn't fall of the table. It was interesting for Gil to see Oz not fussing over the doctor prodding him, even if it was because he was asleep. The doctor spent a few minutes trying to see if she could get Oz to answer a few questions. After a bit of trail and error she noticed that he could squeeze her hand to answer yes or no questions.

"Does anything hurt?" She asked, speaking a little louder than she normally would so he could hear her. When she felt an almost nonexistent pressure on her left hand she said, "Okay, I'm going to touch a part of you. Squeeze my hand when I touch where it hurts." She slowly moved one of her hands up the boy's stomach and chest, stopping at his ears when the pressure on her hand returned.

The doctor jotted something down before continuing. "Do you feel dizzy?" _Yes_. "Can you open your eyes?" Oz squeezed both of her hands in an _I'm not sure_ answer. "Are you too dizzy to?" _Yes_.

"Okay." She said. She told Gil to lay Oz down and hold his head still. Apparently by doing so it would lessen the impact of the dizzy spell and make it easier to deal with. "Can you try and open your eyes for me?"

Oz's eyes fluttered, attempting to follow the command, eventually managing to open halfway. The blond weakly held on to Gil, feeling like he was going to fall despite the fact he was lying down. The room-or what he could see of it-was spinning to the point of total disorientation. He couldn't focus on any point in space, even when prompted to by the doctor. He couldn't see whatever he was asked to look at as it blended in with the rest of the room.

Oz was given the okay to close his eyes again, gratefully closing out the confusing array of spinning colors flooding his vision. He was left lying down for another few minutes until he'd recovered from the dizzy spell, then was sat back up. The doctor needed a urine sample again before she could be sure what was wrong with Oz, and Gil wasn't sure if he was happy Oz was passed out for this; he wasn't going to have an anxiety attack but he'd need help this time around.

The doctor opened the door so Gil could carry Oz to the bathroom. Gil set down the cup and pulled Oz's pants down, sitting him down on the open toilet. He kneeled in front of the teen and leaned him on his shoulder so he couldn't fall over and attempted to wake him back up. He messed with his hair, nudged and shook his shoulders, called his name, barely getting a response after several minutes. Even then it sounded like Oz was going to cry, probably upset because he wouldn't let him sleep.

"Oz, I promise I'll leave you alone after this okay?" Gil promised, trying to get this over with. He heard Oz huff a yes. "Can you pee for me?" Gil prompted, realizing in any other situation Oz would be a hysterical mess after being asked that question.

Another sleepy mumbled escaped the boy's mouth, his tone a bit upset, as if that was too much to ask of him. He gripped Gil's shirt, implying he was trying to do what he wanted. It was apparently still stressful for him, even though he was drifting in and out of consciousness. Gil gently pressed on his bladder, trying to get him to pee, only to have the boy pull away.

Gilbert groaned. "Come on Oz, I know you need to pee." The last time he'd been to the bathroom was an hour and a half ago, and Gil had figured this might happen so he neglected to bring him right before they left. It seemed to make no difference though, as Oz was still being stubborn about it.

After another minute of coaxing Gil just pressed on his bladder again, figuring it was going to take forever if didn't. Oz move away again but he kept up the pressure until the boy began to pee. Gil got the sample and let him finish before pulling his pants back up, keeping his promise to let Oz sleep.

The doctor was ready for them when they got back. She left with the sample, coming back a moment later with a prescription. "It looks like he has a middle ear infection; that's why he's so dizzy and tired." She explained, handing Gil the prescription. "A round of antibiotics should clear it up in a week or two. He should be able to walk around in a day or two."

Gil accepted the paper and smiled. "Thank you."

The doctor returned the smile. "No problem."

After Gil hand gotten Oz back in the car he called Reim while he drove to the store to get Oz's medicine. Reim was at work but still picked up his phone. "Hey Gilbert." The man greeted, wondering why he was getting called out of the blue.

"Hey Reim. Can I ask for a favor?" Gil asked, balancing his phone in between his shoulder and head so he could drive. His eyes glanced at Oz occasionally to make sure he wasn't falling over.

"Sure, shoot." Reim said.

"Oz is really sick right now and I have to work tomorrow. Normally I would bring him with me but he's essentially unconscious." Gil began explaining, being cut off by his friend before he could ask if he could watch Oz for him

"Yeah, I'll watch him. No problem." Reim answered, not needing to actually hear the question. "I don't know if Alice will let him sleep though." He chuckled.

Gil smiled. "Thank you, I owe you."

"Dinner sounds nice."

Gil laughed, always welcome to his friend's humor. "Then I'll make dinner tomorrow."

"Sounds good. See you in the morning."

"See you in the morning."

.o.O.o.

The next morning, Oz was a bit more responsive than the day before. He was able to support his own weight with help and could talk almost completely normally, though he still preferred to keep his eyes closed.

Alice was still sleeping when Gil brought Oz to Reim's house, which meant the boy could hopefully get a few more hours of sleep before she bothered him. Gil set the boy down on the couch and gave him a hug before he left. After his guardian left Oz was out in seconds, making Reim smile at how cute he was.

Reim had assumed Gil was over exaggerating the fact that Oz was essentially unconscious, but he was shocked to find out that he was telling the truth. Waking the boy up for anything was a chore in itself. He doubted Alice would be able to get him up in his condition. Gil had told him a few things to help him figure out what Oz needed while he was unresponsive, like he should bring him to the bathroom every 2 or so hours and the hand-squeezing tactic they'd used at the doctor's to ask him questions.

The first time Reim had to bring Oz to the bathroom he figured out a way to wake him up without fail. It was a trick he used on Alice when she didn't want to wake up for something, and it was totally painless. All he had to do was hold an ice pack against the teen's neck for about 0.00

5 seconds before he'd wake up and pull away. While Gil had more experience with dealing with Oz's anxiety, Reim had more experience raising a child and as such knew ways of doing things Gilbert didn't.

Oz, thankfully, seemed completely fine with allowing Reim to take care of him. He only got slightly worked up over using the bathroom despite all the worrying Gil did over him before he left. Granted, he didn't like Reim's ice trick, but Alice didn't like it either so he didn't count that.

Around noon Alice woke up, realizing Oz was staying over for the first time. She immediately tried waking him up, putting off eating something until Reim told her to. Minutes later she returned to her task, finding to her dismay that it was nearly impossible to rouse him. That didn't stop her from having fun with him anyway, as she used him as an oversized puppet instead; creating an entire drama with Oz as the hero in minutes.

Reim laughed at her antics, noticing Oz manage a smile as well. He must have been awake enough to listen to Alice's story and found it amusing. If it weren't for the boy's smile Reim would have made Alice stop messing around with him. The drama lasted about as long as a movie would, ending with Oz falling into a deep sleep, supposedly to be woken up again in an endless repeat of the tale she'd fabricated. As Oz 'fell asleep' Alice let him lay down in her lap, using her legs as a pillow. A small smile still remained on his face after Alice decided to leave him alone. She instead began playing a video game on the Wii Reim owned, having fun flying around on her wingloft. Legend of Zelda was one of her favorite game series because it made you think and you got to kill things.

The three of them remained that way until Gil got home from work. He kept his promise to Reim and cooked dinner for everyone, happy to know Oz had a good day. He was also a bit more awake than he'd been that morning, giving him enough energy to tell Gil about his mystical journey. Gil and Oz stayed at Reim's until it was dark outside, having fun playing games with Reim and Alice.

 **Done! Omg I couldn't stop smiling. I hope Alice wasn't OC, but I can totally see her just messing around with Oz when he didn't wake up. Anyone notice the Pandora Hearts reference in a Pandora Hearts fanfiction? The cycles of 100 years?**

 **No?**

 **As I've mentioned already, I am making a bonus chapter for this series of all the cute and funny moments we don't experience in the actual plot. I have a lot ofun ideas but K still want/need more ideas. Anything and everything is accepted, I'm trying to make it long as possible because you guys deserve the long awaited cuteness and humor.**

 **Until next chapter!**


	29. You Dont Understand

_**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Hello guys, I'm back with another chapter! This one is journeying back to the anxiety side of things but we are working on getting rid of said anxiety. Again, not a sadist.**

 **This idea came to me as soon as I thought of 'what if Gil had a meeting.' It brings more of parental Gil into things XD and is going to mark the true beginning of the time in this fic where we begin to fix Oz's wounds. Because of that, though, I had to start finding a way to understand why he's so afraid of different things and then convey that to you guys.**

 **There's going to be some good stuff next chapter, we are going to finally get a good, long look at Oz's past. Expect a very long chapter.**

 **Enjoy!**

.o.O.o.

Two days later Oz was essentially back to his old self. He was still having small problems with the dizziness but other than that was fine. Gil had begun bringing him to work again as well, allowing him to spend more time with Oz while he was working. This particular day, though, there was a meeting taking place for all the employees of Pandora. Each section went in for a meeting at a different time.

While Gil was in his meeting Reim agreed to watch over Oz. Gil gave him his tablet to play with while he was gone so he didn't have to socialize if he didn't want to. Oz sat at the table in Reim's office just like he did in Gil's, minding his own business. He was very quiet and out of the way, so much so that it would be easy to forget about his presence.

Reim liked his quiet demeanor, as it allowed him to work uninterrupted. However, because of this he quickly forgot that Oz didn't speak up when he needed something. He figured it wouldn't be a problem anyway, as the meeting was only supposed to last 1 to 2 hours, 3 tops.

Oz was content to play with Gil's tablet by himself, managing to get fairly far in geometry dash. He'd beaten 5 levels in under an hour before he switched to another game called deemo. It was a piano game where the keys floated into view and when clicked would create a beautiful song. Oz quickly became engrossed in the game, mesmerized by the beautiful songs. His favorite was Wings of Piano, one of the earliest levels.

The songs evoked a lot of emotions that were a combination of pleasant and uncomfortable. Some created a nostalgic effect, others happy, others yet again bringing on a light depressing feeling. He seemed to like the nostalgic and depressing songs more; he sympathized with them more. While they had no lyrics, their notes were like an eye opening poem.

He quickly realized the tunes each told a different story. Wings of Piano, for example, started out slow and nostalgic, eventually leading to a repeat in the notes but in a happier way. Despite the more upbeat ending, the song remained sad, but was amazing nonetheless. It made him realize that there was beauty and value in sadder things. They made the perfect foundation for a happier thing, making it seem so much better after having experienced it's opposite.

Oz soon stopped playing the game, allowing the levels to play themselves and just listened to the music. The music was so lively, it was able to bring out all the emotions he preferred not to feel. Emotions tended to just make things harder in his experience, so he found it much easier to ignore them and not take them at face value. The music, however, made them seem to be easier to experience, easier to sort through and understand.

He smiled, feeling a new happiness. It wasn't that it was new, but he felt it much more strongly than usual, making it a little hard to control. To him, the strength of it was the equivalent of someone who was meeting their idol for the first time or doing something they've waited their whole life to do. It was a bit terrifying to say the least, but it was so much fun at the same time. Everything seemed more colorful with this new level of emotions.

There was also the negative side of them, which he quickly realized had just as much of a crushing force. After playing with the game for over an hour, he'd started to need to pee. It wasn't anything to worry about yet, but his mind began worrying instantly over it. This worry wasn't like the anxiety he usually felt, it was just as strong but held more meanings, more ground than just a feeling of dread. Now there were anxious thoughts as well, constantly thinking of every possible thing that could go wrong.

Oz sighed internally, looking at the time. Gil still had an hour left for his meeting, and he didn't think he could hold it that long. Logically, he thought he should tell Reim so he could bring him to the bathroom and then it would be over. Simple and easy once he put the plan into motion.

But his emotions told him something very different. It wasn't going to be that easy, he'd probably tell him to wait because Gil would be back soon. How was he going to tell Reim? Being straight and to the point would be a little rude and obnoxious. He really didn't want to have a conversation either, as that could easily backfire and force him into a conversation with no break to bring up his issue.

Giving in to the possible negative outcomes, Oz remained quiet and decided to wait it out as long as he could before he brought it up. It seemed like a better option than possibly being denied, which could easily hurt much more than needing to pee.

As his desperation slowly mounted, he pressed his thighs together and concentrated on the tablet, trying to forget about the looming pressure in his bladder. It was getting severely uncomfortable, but he'd been through worse and could easily sit through it. He was well aware that Reim was still watching him, checking every once in awhile that he was fine.

Despite knowing that the man was watching him and would definitely question him if he noticed anything implying he needed to pee, he crossed his legs tightly. It felt a lot better than his previous position. He quickly uncrossed them though and sat up, realizing Reim probably already knew that was one of his signs. His haste caused him to leak a little, making him begin to panic.

No. No no no no. This was not happening. There was no way he was going to pee his pants because he was too nervous to tell Reim he needed to go. He knew he should tell Reim. No, he _needed_ to tell Reim. But he just couldn't; he couldn't get his voice to work when he tried to even call the man's name.

Why did this have to be so hard? He'd already been through this problem so many times, and yet he still couldn't solve it. It wasn't that hard to say 5 words to voice what he needed. This shouldn't even be a problem, but it was. He was so pathetic, he couldn't even tell someone when he needed to pee.

Oz rested his head in his hand on the table, hiding his cheeks from view as tears started to flow down them. He regulated his breathing to make sure it didn't sound like he was crying, not wanting Reim to know what was wrong. It hurt so much, but he refused to make it feel better and admit that he had to use the bathroom. He forced himself not to cross his legs or hold himself knowing Reim would recognize it right away.

For the second time he leaked, though he refused to do anything more than press his thighs together. He somehow managed to stop himself, feeling the pain in his stomach get worse as he forced his body to contain the liquid inside him. His legs were trembling and he was lightly panting from the effort. He leaked again, this time faster, and was unable to keep himself from burying a hand in his crotch.

Fuck. Reim knew what was wrong now. He wanted to pull his hand away, hoping that maybe Reim wasn't paying attention, but the added pressure felt so much better. When he thought it was okay he moved his hand above the table, only to grab himself again seconds later. He couldn't do this.

Oz opened his mouth, readying himself to speak. "Reim." He called, his voice breaking desperately despite the attempt to keep it level. Reim looked up from his work when he heard his name, immediately noticing the boy's distress. Without being told what was really wrong he stood and walked over to Oz to help him up.

Cheeks burning, Oz reluctantly accepted the help and wobbly got to his feet, barely able to stand. After a few seconds of gathering himself Oz followed Reim to the bathroom. He held himself when he thought Reim wasn't looking, finding it increasingly difficult to walk normally. He had to stop several times and cross his legs as well to keep himself from peeing. Each time Reim waited patiently for him, fully aware of his predicament.

He thought it was a little odd Oz had waited so long to tell him, but he also knew that it wasn't something he was comfortable with. This led him to assume that this was a daily occurrence for him when he was away from home. It made him feel bad for the blond, unable to imagine why it was such a problem.

They finally made it to the bathroom, which was thankfully empty. Reim leaned in the doorway, waiting for Oz to pick one of the stalls and use the bathroom. Oz froze, however, a few paces in front of him, legs crossed and both hands at his crotch. He whimpered in pain and bent down a little, unable to move.

Reim saw this and realized the boy was probably about to wet himself. He gently guided him in front of a urinal, figuring it didn't matter right now. When Oz didn't move to undo his pants Reim did it for him. Oz couldn't let go of himself because he knew once he did he was going to start peeing. He knew he could use the bathroom, but Reim was watching him.

It seemed so stupid, he was literally seconds away from pissing his pants and he was worried about an adult being in the same room while he used the bathroom. Logically, he knew it didn't matter and that he should just _go_. But he froze and couldn't bring himself to do it. He'd rather piss his pants than let Reim watch him use the bathroom.

Reim looked at Oz, wondering why he was just standing there. It was obvious the kid was bursting to pee, but he just held himself and had his eyes closed. The man's eyes traveled down to his hands, noticing suddenly that his fingers were dripping wet. His eyes widened when he realized Oz was starting to pee his pants.

He pushed himself of the wall and rushed to Oz's side. "Woah, Oz!" Reim exclaimed, quickly pulling the boy out of his pants for him and aiming at the urinal. Oz immediately snatched himself away from the man, angry, embarrassed tears streaming down his face. He hid himself with his hand and forearm, glancing up at Reim with a warning glare.

That was the first time Reim saw the boy actually angry, and for a reason he didn't understand. Maybe he overstepped his boundaries a bit, but it was much better than pissing himself and having to wait until Gil's shift was over to change. The anger in the boy's eyes quickly faded, being replaced by fear almost instantaneously.

He was worried Reim was upset with him because he'd reacted so strongly. His shorts were wet as well, so he was terrified Gil would be angry with him. How was he supposed to explain how he'd managed to pee his pants while in a bathroom?

Oz tried to not cry, at least not loudly. It was hard not to though, especially after Reim had touched him. Not even Gil had done that before, which was effectively freaking him out. The only time someone other than himself had ever touched his crotch was when his father raped him. Considering his current situation, his mind automatically assumed Reim was going to hurt him.

As much as he was afraid of what his reaction would be, Oz just wanted Gil.

.o.O.o.

Gil's meeting had just adjourned and he was heading to Reim's office when the man texted him. " _Can you come to the bathroom on my floor?_ " The text read.

Without being told anything else, he could probably guess what happened. With a sigh he sent back, " _What happened?_ " While he waited for a reply he walked towards the bathrooms, only able to imagine what he would meet when he got there.

" _I guess I'll tell you when you get here…...I don't have a clue._ " Reim sent, causing Gil to worry. He just hoped Oz was okay.

When got to the bathrooms Oz was hugging him, shaking and crying hysterically. Completely confused, Gil looked to Reim for an explanation. Reim shrugged his shoulder, just as clueless as Gilbert, but attempted to explain what he saw.

Gil listened intently, running his fingers through Oz's hair to calm him down. What Reim was telling him seemed like what he'd expect until his friend got to the part where they were in the bathroom. The answer clicked in Gil's mind immediately.

"I think I know what happened." Gil said, giving Reim a look that said _I'll explain later_. He pulled away from Oz to see the damage done to his shorts, pulling gently at the bottom of the fabric to get a better look. Oz widened his stance a bit to let Gil see, amazing Reim at how compliant he was being. Just seconds ago he was shying away from Reim for just being there and the child was allowing his guardian to look at the place he'd been warned for touching.

Reim left for his own meeting, leaving the two alone. Oz stood still, waiting to see what Gil would do. Gil turned on one of the sinks and gathered some water in his hand, rubbing it into the fabric of Oz's shorts where they were already wet. He started lower and worked his way up, always putting his other hand in between the fabric and Oz so he wasn't touching him. His grip on Oz's shorts also kept him from backing up when he got nervous. It wasn't a mean or forceful gesture, but it clearly meant for the boy to stay put and let him work.

Once Oz stopped pulling away all together Gil explained that water got rid of the smell and mark of the pee. He hadn't completely soaked his shorts either, so it made the job easier. They didn't talk while Gil did his best to save Oz's shorts. Gil was focusing and Oz was still worried if Gil was upset; he wasn't worried he would hurt him anymore, but it still was possible to anger him and he didn't want to.

Gil switched from the water to using paper towels to dry Oz off somewhat. He made sure there wouldn't be a mark left on anything he sat on and left it alone. Gil sighed and hugged Oz, resting his chin on the boy's head. "What happened?" He asked. He already knew what had happened physically, but he didn't know what happened inside Oz's mind.

"I got scared." Oz answered, his voice a bit muffled from his guardian's shirt.

"Reim isn't going to hurt you." Gil said.

Oz shook his head, that wasn't fully it. "He touched me." Oz said, looking up at Gil.

Gil lifted one eyebrow. Oz frowned. "Where?" Gil asked, having some kind of clue but not getting it entirely. Oz was fairly touch sensitive so the were a lot of places he could be talking about. Oz motioned to his crotch, unable to physically say it. Gil sighed. That made more sense.

Gil brought Oz back to his office, pulling him into his lap before he got back to work. While he set everything up he said, "Oz, I notice that there are lots of things you're afraid of, or that you avoid for reasons I don't know about." He stopped what he was doing, looking Oz dead in the eyes. "Tonight, I want to know why. I know you have boundaries and I respect that, but I want to be able to understand you better. Do you understand?"

Oz glanced down for a second in thought, his gaze once again connecting with Gilbert's. For the first time, his eyes showed no fear or hesitation from looking him in the eyes. "Okay."

 **Done! I need to go to sleep, it's dawn here.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed, this was longer than I expected by who cares? More is better! I promise, the majority of the major torture is over. I can't wait for the next chapter, I'm bringing up things never mentioned before. We are going to see the very depths of Oz's scars.**

 **Literally.**

 **Not in flashbacks though. It'll be a very, very longgggg talk between them.**

 **Until then!**


	30. I Think I'm Starting To

_**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Hello, back again!**

 **This chapter is dedicated to a back story to the max on Oz's past. I did my best to think of absolutely everything and to put it in a conversation order that seems likely. I tried to make it long too, even though it's harder using only dialogue.**

 **I also wanted to emphasize in this chapter the reasons why Oz does a lot of things, I want to really make you guys understand.**

 **Enjoy!**

.o.O.o.

As soon as Oz and Gil got home Oz changed and Gil put away his stuff from work. Once they were done with their respective tasks they sat on the couch together. Neither of them talked for a while, allowing the peace of the house to relax them. Gil was ready to ask Oz as many questions as he was allowed, but he wanted the boy to calm down from earlier so he could answer easier.

After Gil cooked dinner and they ate, Gilbert decided it was okay to start. He pulled Oz into his lap and turned him so they were facing each other. "Can I ask you some things?" Gil questioned, keeping his tone calm.

Oz sighed and looked Gil in the eyes. "On one condition." He said, wondering how Gil was going to take his request.

"Sure. What is it?"

"I don't want any pity." Oz said plainly. That was the only thing he wanted Gil not to do. Pity made him feel like he was someone's property, like a kicked puppy. To him it was a shallow reaction to what he was going to tell him.

Gil smiled. "Then I won't pity you." He promised.

Being given the okay, Gil started with what he saw as one of the most present problems. "Why do you find it so hard to tell anyone you need to pee?" Gil wondered, watching as Oz's face fell just a bit.

Oz breathed in, gathering the words to explain that. It was kind of hard to explain. "Father had a lot of rules." He began, figuring that was needed information for later on. "I wasn't allowed to do anything unless he told me to."

Gil nodded, showing he was listening. Oz took a moment to breathe before he continued, wanting to keep calm. "Father had a pee fetish or something and he raped me whenever I told him." He sniffed. "He always made me hold it until it hurt. Most of the time I would have an accident before he'd let me go."

Gil's mouth fell open. That was horrible, no wonder Oz refused to bring it up. "And so that's why you were scared when…." He said, trailing off when he saw the boy nod.

"Mhmn." Oz answered, not needing to hear the rest of the question. That was why he didn't tell Reim, why he was so hysterical when he'd helped him out.

"Then what about actually peeing? Even when you were basically asleep you couldn't do it in front of me." Gil continued.

Oz blushed and looked up. He wished Gil would forget about all of that. "I was beaten for peeing when I wasn't told to." He explained, remembering the constant pain of holding it in nonstop.

His guardian frowned. "That isn't something to be dictated." Oz tilted his head to the side in confusion, so Gil rephrased his statement. "You can use the bathroom when you need to. No one is going to stop you." The blond gave him a look that showed he understood what he was saying, but it showed the smallest sliver of a doubt.

The man frowned, wishing Oz would understand what he said was true. He never stopped the boy from using the bathroom and never yelled at him when he had accidents, and yet he still believed he would get in trouble for not peeing on command.

Gilbert decided to move on to something else. "Why are you so afraid of the dark?"

Oz asked, "Remember the room you found me in?" Gil nodded. "There was another one but it was always dark. Father used that one when he hurt me."

"That's another thing I always wondered." Gil began. "Why do you have so little scars then?" He wondered. Shouldn't he be covered in scars from those nine years?

Oz shrugged. "Only bad cuts left scars." He said, not sure himself why wasn't marked up.

"Then what are they from?" Gilbert asked, expectant to finally know their backstories but also afraid of what they were reminders of.

Oz slowly explained each scar, moving his clothes to point to the ones that were hidden. The long scar traveling from his collarbone to his hip was from a sword wound. He'd been rushed in for emergency surgery because everything in his stomach had been damaged. The doctors were told it was a wound from a bear attack.

The patch of scar tissue on his left shoulder was from a burn. He'd knocked something over in the kitchen and a pot of boiling water fell on him. It wasn't entirely Zai's fault that one happened, but he'd ignored the burn once Oz came crying to him over it.

A discolored mark on his chest was from a broken rib that punctured his skin. He'd wet the bed and Zai kicked him in the chest for it. A smaller scar going diagonally across his stomach was from the same moment.

The scar on his neck was a scratch mark; Zai was drunk and clawed him for no reason. If the cut had been any deeper it would have killed him.

Gil interrupted when Oz neglected to mentioned the bullet scar on his throat. Oz froze when he asked about it, causing Gil to wonder if that was something he should have brought up. The blond sighed and sprawled out on his guardian's lap, trying to make himself feel more comfortable. He wanted Gil to know his past, but it was hard bringing up the pain of it all. So he didn't start crying or anything he kept pausing in between responses, trying to remember he was with Gil.

Oz began to explain that he'd gotten the scar eight years ago, one of the first times Zai had left him alone for a few weeks. It was a fairly bad day for him; he was lonely and hungry and he missed his family and Gil. He kept going through Zai's drawers, attempting to find something to occupy himself, to distract him from the pain.

And that was when he'd found Zai's pistol. It was in his nightstand and loaded. Oz quickly learned how the weapon worked and sat with it in his lap, crying for everyone he'd lost. He knew what the gun could do, and he contemplated for hours if it would be worth it. Eventually his pain moved him to aim the gun and pull the trigger.

Gil listened as Oz talked, doing his best not to break his promise to the boy. Oz was fairly dry eyed, but he was struggling not to cry. He'd been through so much pain, so much hardship that at the age of _six_ he tried to kill himself. Gil gently touched the scar, noticing how Oz looked up into his eyes. Those green irises, the ones that brightened his every day, showed no remorse for what he'd done. It broke Gil's heart.

Now it was Gilbert's turn to need a breather. Oz leaned into him, resting his head on the man's chest. He closed his eyes and listened to Gil's heartbeat, drawing what comfort he could from the sound. It was slow and steady, a strong repetition that kept him calm, that kept him from locking Gil out. Telling him about all this hurt, and while he wanted him to know, there was going to come a time when he would hide behind his emotional wall again.

After a while Gil collected himself and continued. "What are you scared of that I don't know about?" He asked. He wanted to help the boy not be afraid anymore. If he knew his fears and their reasons he could help him to overcome them.

"A lot of things." Oz said, thinking of each specific fear. "When people yell, small places, new things and people, being rejected, pain, being touched in some places…" He trailed off. They would be here awhile for a whole list. He sighed, a little embarrassed to admit a few of them.

Gil respected the fact he didn't want to share some of his fears. He figured he would eventually trigger one of the ones he didn't knows about and they could work on it then. A lot of what Oz was mentioning he had expected, and even when he didn't elaborate he knew what he meant.

Gil held Oz gently, happily feeling the boy relax. "Are you alright with trying to overcome some of them?" He proposed.

Oz made a noise akin to a yes, wondering what he had in mind. "Do you want to start with anything specific?" He asked, keeping his eyes low.

"How about we keep working with your bathroom issue like we have been," Gil began, watching as Oz gently hit his head on his chest in annoyance. "and we can do something that is more of a problem. Like the dark or something."

Oz nodded in agreement. He trusted Gil with whatever he wanted to do. Gil seemed to be finished asking questions for the time being and suggested, "Why don't we go get changed?" Oz climbed off of Gil and they moved upstairs to switch into their pajamas.

To Oz's dismay, Gil followed him into his own room and sat down on his bed. "I want you to change with me in the room; I won't look." He promised, seeing Oz blush.

"But why is that a problem?" He whined.

"For gym in school you change in a locker room with the rest of the class." Gil explained. Oz groaned at the thought. He reluctantly pulled out a pair of pajamas and set them down on his bed next to Gil, worriedly looking at the man's face. He had his eyes closed though and his head was turned slightly to the wall.

Oz took off his shirt and switched it for his pajama top, never taking his eyes off of Gil. When Gil didn't open his eyes he cautiously took his shorts off and quickly pulled on the pajama bottoms. It felt odd to be so scared over such a simple thing, but at the same time his fear felt justified.

Oz gave Gil the okay to open his eyes and immediately received a hug from the man. He acted like the boy had just accomplished some big feat and ruffled his hair. The blond blushed a bit from the seemingly over exaggerated praise but somehow found himself smiling. Gil quickly got changed in his own room before letting Oz come in and lay down with him.

At first Oz was hesitant to sleep next to Gil, afraid he'd wet the bed again. Gil promised to wake him up a few times to pee though, which got him to stay. He set an alarm on his phone to go off in three hours and turned up the volume. They weren't quite sure how long Oz could hold it in his sleep so Gil kept slowly lengthening the time between when he woke him up at night.

Oz cuddled up to Gil under the covers, resting his head on the pillow next to the man's shoulder. Gil smiled at the subtle request his position posed; depending on how the boy laid next to him implied how he wanted to cuddle. Ever since the day Gil found out about his phobia of the dark the boy had a preference for being the one on the bottom. [Get those minds out of the gutters.] He felt more calm that way because Gil's body created a kind of buffer space between him and the looming presence of the darkness.

It wasn't completely dark in the room; Gil simply dimmed the lights to a happy medium between their preferences. The slight darkness still unnerved Oz a bit though. Gil rolled onto his side and leaned heavily on Oz, essentially laying on top of him without crushing him under his weight. He felt Oz relax and rest his head against his own.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

 **All done. I wanted this to be so much longer, but I'm not experienced with lengthening the sad stuff with a lot of dialogue.**

 **I hope you guys understand Oz's viewpoint a bit more after this, I kept going back to add in details. For some reason the OST A Shadow from Pandora Hearts kept playing in my mind while I wrote this chapter. Odd, huh?**

 **Until next time, I'm going to try and get a few more chapters out before school.**


	31. Shopping

_**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Hey guys, I'm back!**

 **I had so much fun writing this, my friend helped me plan part of it. He is not on though so i can't mention him. :( Either way Gil is going to slowly help Oz get rid of all his fears, and there is going to be some serious fluff along the way! This chapter also mentions another fear i didn't put in last chapter, because it fit more in this situation.**

 **Enjoy!**

.o.O.o.

It was 2 days until Gil's next day off, and he decided on that day he would bring Oz out shopping to get some new clothes. Because he was reaching a healthy weight again his clothes were going to stop fitting him soon. So, that morning after breakfast they left for the mall. When Gil brought it up to Oz he explained that he wasn't exactly fond of shopping trips. Gil understood the boy's perspective and promised him he was coming inside the mall with him, which seemed to settle him a bit.

Oz had apparently never seen the inside of a mall before, as he was looking around curiously as Gil led him through the building. Everything about the mall intrigued him, from the flashing lights of the signs to the pattern of the tiles on the floor. Gil held Oz's hand while they walked around since he hadn't learned to follow closely behind whoever he was with yet. If he was left to follow on his own he drifted off a bit and risked getting lost in the crowd.

Gil thought it was interesting how children just seemed to learn to follow their parents around on their own. Even when they weren't with their parents, the same instinctive closeness remained with whoever they were with. Oz said he'd never really been outside the house before, yet he still understood he was supposed to follow behind Gil, even if he wandered a little. The behavior reminded him of a mother duck and her ducklings, walking everywhere in a line. It was a little amusing and cute to him.

The first store they went into was Old Navy. Gil helped Oz pick out some clothes to try on, grabbing several different styles. They made sure to get a few different sizes as well in case they didn't fit. While Oz tried on the clothes Gil waited outside and when Oz gave him the okay would come inside and look them over.

Oz didn't know how trying on clothes was supposed to work at all. That being said, when Gil started playing with his shirt, tugging it down in certain places and testing how much room there was he blushed. He only got redder when the man pulled up his shirt and began looking over the jeans. Oz had never had someone fussing over him so much and found it odd.

Gil thought it was adorable how flustered Oz was getting when he checked how the clothes fit. He knew this was most likely new to him and didn't expect him to know what do to. Instead he guided the boy, asking him to hold his arms out or hold his shirt up. Because this was new to Oz he also didn't know he was supposed to hold his ground when Gil pulled at his waistband or fixed how the jeans sat on his hips either. He would step forwards when Gil pulled at them, a bit confused and blush harder when he realized that was wrong.

Eventually Oz got the gist of what he was supposed to do. Gil left so Oz could try on a smaller pair of pants, as he was practically swimming in the last pair. When he came back in the process took less time now that Oz knew what to do. He still got just as flustered when Gil pulled at the fabric causing the man to smile.

When they found a size that fit him for the most part the jeans still fell off his small hips, so Gil went and found a belt for him. But when he tried to put it through the belt loops on Oz's pants he was in for an interesting surprise. Apparently Oz was completely terrified of belts, and kept trying to pull away from his guardian when he attempted to put it around his waist. At first Gil thought it was because it had been a weapon against him when he was younger, but that wasn't it.

Gil explained to Oz he wasn't going to do anything with the belt to hurt him, but it didn't seem to make an impact. Oz teared up until Gil stopped trying to put it on him and took a few minutes to calm down again. Gil hugged him and ruffled his hair, asking why he was so afraid of the inanimate object. After a few moments of coaxing Gil learned Oz was only afraid of wearing a belt because his father used to padlock them closed so he couldn't use the bathroom.

Gil attempted to make him understand he wasn't going to do that; he didn't even own a padlock. When that didn't work he said he wouldn't buckle it, which didn't seem to calm him down either. Despite his fear Gil managed to get the belt on him, keeping his promise to not tighten or buckle it. While Gil pulled at the belt to see how big it was Oz bounced around anxiously, greatly mimicking the way he fidgeted when he needed to pee. Gil figured it was a reflexive action to try to get him to take it off and ignored it. Oz started to get worked up again and whimpered fearfully when Gil ignored his fidgeting.

Gil shushed him gently and continued playing with the piece of leather, trying to show Oz he was fine. He told him he'd take it off in a minute, wondering why he was bouncing around so much. It seemed a little excessive to just be fear, but it was too sudden of a change to mean Oz actually needed to use the bathroom.

When he asked about it Oz he said that his father would only take the lock off when he was about pee his pants. Sometimes the game would even go until after he'd wet himself. He had come to associate belts with that sick desperation game and as such it played with his mind and tricked him into thinking he had to pee. That bit of information led Gil to assume that the child was fine even though he acted like wasn't.

Gil reminded him he would take the belt off in a minute, taking a bit longer than usual because of Oz's fidgeting. He just wanted to make sure it would do it's job and then took it off. Oz was upset with him afterwards and pouted like a five year old but quickly got over it.

Gil paid for the clothes before they went over to Walmart to get some household stuff while they were out. Gil drove a carriage around the store while Oz was asked to keep a hand on the carriage while they walked around. This trip was a lot shorter than the first, but the two stopped for a bit to go through the shirts with text on the front.

Not many of them fit either of their personalities, but on the occasion that one of them fit they picked up to show the other. Gil found a shirt that said 'I don't your sarcasm, I have enough of my own' for Oz and held it up to him. Oz found another that said 'Me? Grumpy? Never!' and below the words there was the care bear by the name of Grumpy. Despite Gil's protests he eventually gave in and bought the care bear shirt.

It was around noon at that point, so after bringing all the bags to the car Gil brought Oz out to eat. They had fun talking about what they wanted to do on Gil's next day off. Gil said a place called Six Flags was in town and they could go there with Alice and Reim. Oz thought it was a fun idea.

So when they returned home later that day Gil called Reim to make sure he'd be able to come along. He was free that day, so they set up a time to go together. It was sure to be an interesting day.

Until then, Gil still had to help Oz get over a lot of his fears in the meantime. Wearing a belt was now on the priority list. Luckily, a lot of the things they had to work on had simple answers, they would just need time and patience. Oz was also compliant with Gil even when he was scared, which was going to make it much easier.

They went home after lunch and lounged around at home for the rest of the day. Gil asked Oz to wear his new belt around to get used to it, and the boy eventually agreed when Gil taught him how to take it off. To start Gil kept it fairly loose, but that didn't stop the boy from nervously bouncing around again.

Unlike last time, he actually did end up needing to use the bathroom. He wasn't as desperate as he made it out to seem in his fear though. Gil undid the belt for him when he couldn't with his shaking hands and watched as he bolted for the bathroom. It was the oddest reaction ever; even when Oz came back from the bathroom he still acted like he was about to piss himself.

He cried for a while, working himself up over the harmless piece of leather around his waist. Gil held him in his lap and let him cry. He'd come to figure out that when Oz got this terrified he couldn't come back to himself until he tired his anxiety out. It didn't help that it never seemed to burn out, but it eventually ended.

It took forever, but eventually Oz stopped fidgeting and was able to focus on something besides the belt. They watched a couple of movies until it was dark, distracting Oz and keeping him from getting worked up again. They soon decided to go to sleep so they could wakie up early enough for Gil to go to work.

 **Done!**

 **How did this go? I tried my best to lengthen out the shopping trip but it still was kind of short. Please don't forget to review and let me know how I'm doing! Still looking for ideas for the bonus chapter if anyone has any!**

 **Until next time!**


	32. Go With The Flow

_**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Hey everyone, back again with another chapter! Sorry for the wait, this will be the last quick update, I start school Monday. I hope to finish this despite the time I'm going to have to write, and I hope you guys can stay patient with me.**

 **This is just a goofy, fun chapter centered on Gil's work day and afterwards. It mentions some of the things Oz and Gil are working on together, but it is still fairly upbeat. Lots and lots of internal thoughts and fun.**

 **Enjoy!**

.o.O.o.

Gil and Oz were sitting in Gil's office the next morning, Gilbert working and Oz laying around boredly. He had Gil's tablet to play with, but after beating geometry dash there wasn't much to do on it. That being said, he just literally laid around, falling into a light sleep every once in awhile.

The room was filled with a peaceful silence, only being broken by the keys of Gil's computer as he typed. It was a nice day, a calm break from last night. After Oz had spent the whole night overly anxious today was a much needed time to relax. He was truly exhausted from the anxiety, as it caused his mind to run and run and run until he was burnt out. It was the equivalent of running a marathon, just mental and not physical.

Gil had still made him wear a belt, but after tiring his anxiety out the first time he was much more mellow about it now. He still hated it and was worried that he'd look down and see that it was locked, but he was too tired to be physically nervous; at least for long. Every once in awhile he'd squirm around in his seat or pull at the belt anxiously, quickly going back to ignoring it once he tired himself out again.

He knew how to take the belt off, but he couldn't bring himself to. First because when he was younger he wasn't allowed to, and also because it felt wrong to go against what Gil wanted. He understood Gil wanted him to get over the irrational fears he had and was never going to abuse his authority over him, so he never disobeyed him.

Oz smiled a bit. How did the authority thing work between him and Gil? Gil was his surrogate father and guardian, but Oz was still technically his master and Gil was the servant. He wondered if Gil would have to listen to his commands, or if the father card trumped him.

Out of curiosity, Oz asked Gil about it. He wondered, "Hey Gil? You know how you used to be my servant?"

Gil looked up from his computer, his expression questioning the child's sudden question. "Yeah?" He responded, wondering where this was going.

"Does that still count?" Oz asked. It was an interesting thought; in a way both of them were the superior one in the relationship. He figured Gil had a bit more say, especially after all of his exposure training to his fears. It was a little hard for him to be in charge and be the one cowering behind his servant.

Gil thought for a moment. "I really don't know…." He said, trying to logic it out in his head. "...technically I was never fired, but then again after everything I might as well have been…"

Oz sat quietly while his guardian thought. He was splayed out across the table with his cheek resting on his arm, watching Gil's face contort in confusion. It was a little funny to him the way the man frowned when he got confused, but he couldn't explain why.

"I guess it could, but I guess it's really whether or not you prefer being my son or my master really." Gil said finally. Both were correct positions for the boy, and he technically had the right to choose between the two. It didn't matter to Gil which he chose either; both jobs included keeping Oz safe and from doing anything stupid.

Oz frowned a bit. "But I like both!" He whined, leaning back into his chair with a sigh. It felt nice having someone above him because he had someone to come to when he needed to. However, it would be amazing if Gil had to follow his every command. Ideally, he wanted a mix of both worlds; he could be in charge sometimes and then Gil was always there to step up when he needed to.

"Then we could try both." Gil suggested. He couldn't help but smile at the hopeful but confused look on Oz's face.

Oz cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?" He asked, wondering what Gil had in mind.

"Well, we can have a system or something. If you want to be my master you can call me Gil and when you want to be my son you can call me something else." Gil offered, figuring it was a good plan. He doubted much would change regardless of which mode they were in, but he was sure Oz was going to have some fun with it.

Just as he expected, Oz smiled wide. Ohhhhhh, the jokes he could play on Gil now. He could just see it; switching every sentence between the two names he chose, confusing the hell out of him. Or giving him a goofy name and only using it around his friends! He saw Gil give him a playful but warning look, telling him not to abuse the privilege. Apparently Gil was going to be the one with the final say regardless.

Oz could live with that.

"Do you have a nickname?" Oz asked, knowing Gilbert understood he meant something other than Gil. He didn't want to call him dad or daddy, and father was completely out of the question. He didn't want to associate Gil with that title, as it had come to mean something to him that his guardian was not.

Gil answered, "At work my nickname is Raven. Everyone has an interesting nickname here." He explained, smiling as he thought of all the names. "For example, Break is the mad hatter. Reim is the march hair."

Oz laughed a little. Break's nickname was so fitting. "How do you get them?" He wondered, unable to figure out why Gil had been nicknamed Raven.

"A lot of things. I wear a lot of black so that was a part of mine, but I think they chose Raven because I have the presence of a bird." He was that one person at every job that could be in his office one second and then been sipping a cup of coffee in the lounge the next. He was like a phantom in the workplace. Reim hated it; Gilbert loved creeping him out with his little talent on his off days. While he got frustrated by his friend's antics it normally brought his mood up.

"Raven sounds nice." Oz said. It wasn't as formal as Gilbert but wouldn't replace his affectionate nickname for him either. "Raven when I'm in charge, Gil when you are." He proposed, giving a look of approval to the man over his second nickname.

Gil nodded his agreement, looking back to his computer screen. "That sounds good."

Despite their agreement to have both sides of the relationship, Oz favored being the son a lot more. Gil was never quite sure if it was because he was so used to using the affectionate nickname over the normal one, but he rarely used the name Raven. At first.

The boy tested it out a few times, asking Gil to do a few random things to mess with him. When Gil gave him a look he giggled. The looks weren't upset or warning; they were more of a playful _are you kidding me_? After three or four random commands he promised he was over it and stopped messing with Gil so he could work.

Reim came in for work as well around lunch. He dropped by Gil's office to ask him a favor. He popped his head in the door, offering a wave to Oz and a smile to his friend. "Hey Gil, can I ask a favor?" He wondered, looking over his shoulder at something for a second.

Gil replied, "Yeah sure. What's up?" He definitely owed Reim a few favors after all the times he'd watched Oz for him. _Especially_ after when he'd had his meeting; he couldn't really think of much more going wrong that time than what actually did.

"I have to cover Break's shift while he is abroad." Reim began to explain, earning an understanding nod from Gil.

"I was wondering why you came in so late."

Reim smiled. "Yeah. I was wondering if you could watch Alice for a few hours? I know you get out before me but I figured she and Oz could do something together until I'm out."

"Sure, no problem." Gil answered. After seeing Oz's face light up how could he refuse?

Reim sighed in relief. "Thank you, I owe you." He opened the door a bit more to let Alice walk in, who had been standing behind him the whole time.

Gil shook his head. "No you don't, consider us even after every time I asked you to watch Oz."

"Okay then." Reim said. He turned to Alice, who had sat down next to Oz, mockingly mimicking his sprawled out position. "Behave." He said simply, his tone light enough to not be mean. Alice stuck her tongue out playfully, smiling a bit to show she wasn't being rude.

Reim left leaving the three alone. Oz and Alice took turns playing with Gil's tablet, being perfect angels compared to most other teenagers their age. They were good at sharing the object despite both being only children and despite one being much more aggressive than the other. Alice had an explosive temper that Oz had never encountered, mostly because his personality was unable to trigger it. He was too laid back for her to find a reason to get upset with him and too compliant with others for her to try and frustrate him into fighting with her.

They were true opposites and the living definition of the phrase 'opposites attract.' They balanced each other out perfectly. The only thing about their relationship that wasn't what you'd typically expect in a normal, good match was that Alice was definitely the dominant one. Most of the time the guy had more say, but Alice's more aggressive personality easily won over Oz's shy, calm one.

Gil smiled, occasionally looking up to make sure they were fine. It quickly became less of making sure they were getting alone and more of what antics were they up to now. He was happy Oz was having fun; he'd all but forgotten he was wearing a belt. The boy seemed unphased by it despite fussing over it less than a half hour ago, which made him feel a lot better.

At Gil's lunch he brought them to the bathroom, tightening Oz's belt to how it would normally be worn. He was noticeably calm about it, probably finally getting a grasp on the fact that it wasn't a torture device. His relaxed demeanor was unchanged, which made Gil happy.

At the same time he was just a tad bit sad. Oz was a happy kid, but he was nowhere near how bouncy he used to be when they were younger. Gil was ecstatic regardless, happy to know he'd helped him to regain his old personality, but it had been watered down by the hardship he'd been through. In the end he kind of liked Oz's newer personality better, considering he could be calm now and relax instead of constantly needing something to do.

Alice seemed to have bits and pieces of Oz's old personality. She never really stopped moving unless she was essentially sleeping; sleeping was her version of relaxing. She was also just as goofy as Oz but was more willing to test the limits with it. She hadn't gone through a lot of what Oz did, so she was less aware of the possible dangers of her actions.

That being said, Oz was the wiser of the two. He also had a way of speaking to her where he could put into use without starting a fight. He would have an easier time talking Alice out of a reckless decision than Gil or Reim, and they were the adults. Age didn't really matter to Alice either, so she didn't respect adults because they were older.

Alice seemed to respect Oz a lot compared to anyone else. Everything about her softened around him, as if she was afraid to anger or upset him. Gil couldn't see a ground for her worry though, as he wasn't sure if Oz even had a temper. Heck, he'd never even seen the boy get frustrated over something. He couldn't imagine Oz being truly angry, it was too out of character for him.

Oz eventually grew bored of the tablet again. He gave it to Alice and watched idly while she played, falling asleep every few minutes. As soon as Alice noticed this she would wake him up and get him to play with her for a few minutes before he went back to napping. While he never got upset with her for waking him up, after a few times of being shaken awake he got up and sat in Gil's lap so he could be left alone.

Gil was like his break from everything. If he just wanted to relax or just be he always came to his guardian knowing he wouldn't bother him if he didn't want to be bothered. Gil was always respectful of his space and in turn Oz was never demanding; Gil didn't have moments where he wanted to be left alone, but he did sometimes need the same calm Oz did. Oz gave him the calm he needed by simply going with the flow, doing whatever he wanted until he sensed the man's mood lift.

Oz sighed contently and rested his head against Gil's neck. He closed his eyes and let sleep take him again, this time knowing he would be left alone for awhile. Gil smiled at him, admiring his ability to fall asleep so suddenly. He himself could take hours to fall asleep at night and Oz could pass out in seconds.

Gil looked again at Alice, seeing her eyes watching them curiously. Her eyes observed their position and interaction intently, never judging. If her gaze had been anything but calm and observant Gil would probably have started bickering with her. It was a little weird to him how fascinated she seemed by how relaxed Oz was.

Reim has different way of doing things, and while he still cuddled with Alice it was different than the way Oz and Gil cuddled. There was no way it could be the same, considering everything had a different meaning because she was a girl and Oz was a boy. That said, she found it interesting how the two of them didn't seem to have a bubble of personal space that was to be left alone. Between genders the bubble was obvious, but because Oz and Gil were the same they didn't have to be as careful.

Maybe she thought innocence played a role as well, but she was unfortunately wrong. Gil wished Oz was still innocent, but after being raped he could no longer fall under that category. While he may not understand it all, he knew how sex worked and was unfortunately experienced to say the least. It must have made cuddling harder for him at first, knowing that there was a possibility for it to turn into more. Gil wouldn't do that, but Oz didn't know that at first.

It also made it that much more amazing how much Oz trusted Gil in general. He was never afraid to let his guard down around him. He was slowly learning to not be shy as well, but that was a bit harder for him to learn. Oz hadn't had a parental figure where he could unashamedly ask for help or advice. He found it hard sometimes to let Gil have the closeness to him parents had with their kids on a physical and mental level. They both had to work to change his perspective on each tiny little aspect of that relationship.

There were also parts he had to learn from scratch. Gil did things through body language more than words, and so Oz had to learn Gil's language. Zai hadn't been one for speaking either, but he had signals that had specific meanings learned through pain. Gil's way of communicating was more general, mirroring the way animals communicated; through emotions rather than actual signals.

Oz could kind of see how Gil resembled a bird through this line of thinking. He was simple and effective, guided yet free. Precise in his thoughts and quick to put them into action.

Alice went back to playing with the tablet once she had stopped watching the boys. It was her entertainment until Gil's shift was over and Oz slept peacefully in his lap the rest of the time. Gil woke Oz up so they could go home, packing up his stuff when the boy got off him.

Oz held Gil's arm while they walked, a little too groggy to walk right on his own. Alice trailed slightly behind them, staying out of the way. Instead of getting in the passenger seat like he normally did, Oz sat in the back with Alice so they could talk. They were fairly quiet, considering Alice was a part of the conversation.

When they got home Alice laid around on the couch watching tv while Gilbert and Oz cooked. Oz had whined until Gil let him help again, though he was only allowed to do really simple things. Regardless he seemed happy he got to do anything. Gil turned around to grab a pan out of one of the cabinets, leaving Oz to watch over the stove and oven for a few seconds. Oz suddenly yelped and jumped away from the oven, causing Gil to jump as well. Apparently the boy had accidentally touched a metal part of the oven and burned his hand.

Oz immediately touched the burned part of his fingers to his lip, leading Gil to assume he was going to cry. He didn't though, making Gil wonder what the purpose of the action was. Gil looked over the burn, noticing to his relief it was fairly small. He told Oz to run it under some cold water, but the blond shook his head.

"Cold water on a burn is like frostbite." Oz explained. "You're supposed to press it against your skin so it cools the burn without hurting it."

Gil found himself smiling oddly at him; he was surprised at how knowledgeable he was on the subject. Despite what he thought he decided to let Oz do it his way because he had years of experience with burns. Considering he only had one scar originating from a burn, Gil figured he must have been doing something right.

Oz just watched Gil after that, and Gil probably wouldn't have let him help anymore if he asked. A half hour later dinner was finished and the three of them ate in a semi silence. Alice was too busy stuffing her face and Gil and Oz didn't really like to talk and eat at the same time. It made for a calm atmosphere that they were all content with.

After they finished eating they played just dance until Reim got out of work. Gil still sucked at it, leaving Oz and Alice to battle for first place. They were both great dancers once they got into it. One of the songs, Limbo by Daddy Yankee, was their favorite and they kept replaying and replaying it. Gil thought it was amusing, because of the dance moves.

Alice sang the lyrics word for word, having taken spanish in school. Gil understood spanish as well, but he was a bit rusty. Niether of them could live up to Oz's knowledge with Spanish, him being a native speaker in the language and having grown up speaking Spanish and English.

Because both of them were a lot younger than Gil, they found some of the moves involving bending backwards easier. It seemed so natural for them, while Gil would fall over every time he tried to replicate what they did.

Oz was still learning how to dance, but he was quick to figure out every new move. Near the end of the dance, the male counterpart popped his chest out several times, making him look like he was trying to twerk but failing. Alice took this as an opportunity to mess with Oz and she convinced him that he was supposed to twerk. Of course, Oz had no idea what that was but that didn't stop Alice.

In a matter of minutes, she had taught him the basics. They replayed the song again, this time with both of them emphasizing all of the hip movements. Gil was laughing at them the whole time; they were professionals, perfect reflections of the dancers on the tv. The 'twerking' part came on again, and this time Oz was spot on despite just learning how to use his hips. Even Alice was surprised at how good he was at it.

The next song they chose to set on repeat was Run The Show by Kat DeLuna. Again, Alice and Gil were surprised by Oz's ability to dance to it. He could do body waves and rolls better than Alice. She got a bit jealous at how much he was creaming her to a dance meant for GIRLS. It became apparent to them that Oz was very in touch with his feminine side.

Unfortunately, the fun had to eventually come to an end. Reim got out of work and after thanking Gil once again brought Alice home. Oz was still full of energy even after playing for hours and got Gil to dance one more song with him before the night ended.

 **Done! I'm so happy how long this was! I hope you guys enjoyed, this was so much fun to write. I watched videos of the just dances again and couldn't help but laugh imagining Oz and Alice dancing them.**

 **This may be the last fast update, as i won't have as much time to write once school starts. I will still continue this, but it will take longer.**

 **What do you guys think about Oz's and Gil's arrangement? Also, how many people died fangirling/laughing when Oz twerked/beat Alice at Run The Show? It's funnier if you know what the just dances look like. I couldn't breathe. XD**

 **Also, while I am drowning in ideas for the bonus chapter, I still want more! I want it to be the biggest bang ending ever, and I want to keep bulking it until we are out of ideas. Everyone who has contributed, thank you and all of your ideas are going in along with your name, though some people aren't on this website. Please, keep the ideas rolling!**

 **Until next time!**

 **Edit: I have literally updated the entire story, if you guys have not already noticed! Please feel free to go back and reread everything, but you do not have to. I also added in two new chapters: Playing Games and A Desperate Ride. Please check them out as well. The next chapter should be going up soon.**


	33. Six Flags

_**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Hey guys, I'm back! Sorry for the wait!**

 **Here is another fun chapter. It is essentially just a day of our main four at Six Flags. It's a bit of a break from the plot. Soon I have to end this though, so next chapter we are going to kind of begin to end this. It's so sad, I almost don't want it to end.**

 **Once I am done with this though I have a surprise for you guys! (not the bonus chapter) I will give a sneak peak into the surprise at the end of the bonus chapter. I have a feeling you guys will like it a lot!**

 **Also, DISCLAIMER: I have never been to Six Flags. Everything in this chapter was inferred from youtube, google, and many friends who have been to the park. I am sorry for any flaws, please pm me about them and I will see to it that they are fixed.**

 **Until then, enjoy!**

.o.O.o.

Gilbert's next day off finally came, and Oz couldn't wait to go to Six Flags. He and Alice were so excited for the trip that they were awake hours before their respective parents, trying to wake them up so they could get going. They had agreed to meet up at Reim's house before going to the amusement park, and Gil arrived on time.

Everyone took the same car; they all fit in one vehicle and they weren't bringing much. Alice and Oz sat in the back, chatting excitedly while Gil and Reim sat in the front, Gil driving. The raven haired man held his own conversation with his friend, but couldn't help but smile at Oz. He was so much more lively than he'd ever been before; he was excitedly jabbering on with Alice and occasionally switching to talking with Gil, never losing any steam.

Halfway through the trip to Six Flags, Alice and Oz finally calmed down and grew quiet. Both fell asleep as well, having lost several hours of sleep from their excitement. Reim and Gil sat quietly while they slept, enjoying the silence while it lasted. They knew that once they arrived at the amusement park there would be nothing but noise.

Reim and Gilbert had taken several trips to Six Flags; normally during the school day so they could have some time to themselves before Alice got out. Afterwards they would take her for a few hours, having already gone through and done the rides she couldn't go on or didn't want to go on. Gil was happy for his knowledge of the park because he knew which ones would freak Oz out and which ones wouldn't; there were a few that took place in fairly dark places. He had no idea if the boy was afraid of heights though, but they would soon find out.

Gil was actually terrified of heights, and Reim never let him live it down. He was always forced onto many of the roller coasters and screamed himself hoarse every time. If Oz turned out to share his aversion to heights, then they could relax and play carnival games while Reim and Alice took on the coasters; but if he didn't then Gil was afraid of how many rides he'd be forced to endure.

They finally arrived at Six Flags. Gil and Reim got out of the car and opened the back doors, attempting to wake up their respective children. Both went right back to their excited attitudes once they were awake again, causing their guardians to smile. Alice began telling Oz about all of her favorite rides, already planning which ones he _needed_ to go on.

Oz stuck close to Gil while they got in the park, not used to being around so many people at once. At first he fell silent, only continuing his conversation with Alice in short and low replies.

His hand was always in Gil's, keeping him from getting caught in the crowd. As he followed Gil he pushed himself into his side whenever he could as well; it made him feel slightly less afraid.

After their shopping trip together Oz had a better understanding of the fact that he was supposed to follow Gil closely and no longer had to be guided or told what to do. This relieved Gil, giving him peace of mind knowing Oz was always directly behind him or by his side. Not that he would really have any danger of losing Oz when he was so closely attached to his hip though.

The first ride they went on was the Colossus; a ferris wheel near the entrance. It would give them a great view of the entire park and would allow them to see whether or not Oz was afraid of heights. The four of them piled into one of the cars and waited for the ferris wheel to start turning.

It became obvious that Oz was the farthest thing from being afraid of heights. He was leaning into the windows fearlessly and looking over the park, amazed by the view. He was calmer than he was on the ground, comforted by the lack of strangers in his immediate vicinity. The boy had fun figuring out which rides were which with Alice's help as they rose into the air. The blond turned to his guardian, about to ask him what he wanted to do next and laughed.

Gil sat completely still, keeping his gaze high. He refused to look down, afraid because he knew he was about 180 feet up in the air. He was ghost white as well, a complete contrast to his hair and clothes.

Oz 'awwed' and hugged him. Reim found it interesting to see their roles reversed; normally Oz was the one that was scared. Their reactions were totally different though; Gil sat silently until it was over and Oz had a tendency to hide, whether it was behind Gil or by making himself smaller. The difference was justified, they feared different things and for very different reasons.

Once they were off the ferris wheel Alice demanded they go on the Goliath. Before they could get on, they had to wait in the long line for the ride. Alice didn't care though and continued to chatter on with Oz while they waited. Gil and Reim talked too, leaving the teens to their own devices for awhile.

The longer they were in the park the less afraid Oz became. By the time they got on the giant roller coaster he had gone from hiding in his guardian's side to hanging on his arm; a large improvement for such a small amount of time. He slowly became braver but was unable to shake the last bit of fear and shyness that always remained with him.

They boarded the Goliath, the adults with their respective children. Alice sat directly behind Oz, excitedly telling him every twist and turn in the track. She stopped when the ride started, sitting back in her seat and being quiet for the first time that day.

Oz was calm as the coaster rose into the air, watching interestedly Gil grew increasingly worried. He sympathized with his fear but also couldn't at the same time because he didn't understand what it felt like to fear heights. It was a wonder to him how the anxiety seemed to slowly set in and worsen for his guardian whereas his anxiety was always sudden and uncontrollable.

He sat back in his seat as well, curious to see what a rollercoaster was like to ride on. The coaster finally reached the top of the track and began to lean over the steep drop below it. Gil shut his eyes and held his breath. Alice squealed excitedly and leaned forward in anticipation for the drop. Oz watched them both curiously, confused. Was a ride all that much to get worked up about?

The coaster suddenly flew down the track, a movement that Oz was not expecting. The sudden speed at which they descended caused a rush of adrenaline to course through his veins. It was a new feeling for him to feel the rush but not from a fearful response. He felt like his stomach was left at the top of the drop. It was unpleasant but at the same time exhilarating.

He screamed as the coaster looped around, hearing Alice do the same. The blond felt a smile work its way onto his face despite not really feeling happy. He glanced over at Gil and laughed at the way he clung to the bars of the ride, terrified he'd fall if he didn't.

Almost too soon, the ride was over. Gil recovered almost immediately after he was back on the ground and helped Oz out of his seat. Despite not being scared, the ride had turned his legs to jelly, making it near impossible to walk for several minutes.

Gil carried Oz around on his back until the boy could walk correctly. He thought it was amusing how he had to instruct Oz how to sit in the position. The boy nearly choked him by unknowingly draping his arms incorrectly over his guardian's neck and chest and didn't know how to hold himself up without solid support.

Gilbert thought it was adorable that he had many problems with piggyback rides that younger children tended to have and grew out of long before his age. He knew it was from his lack of experience but it made it that much more fun to him. It made the man feel important, being able to teach Oz about things he didn't know the first thing about.

By that time it was around noon so the four stopped to get something to eat. Alice and Reim shared a pizza (Alice ate most of it), Gil had a corn dog and Oz had a hamburger. Oz and Alice occasionally shared bites of each other's food though Oz turned down the offer to try Gil's corndog. He wasn't trying to be rude, but just the look of it was off putting to him. It was essentially a sausage baked in batter; he wasn't biting into that.

Trying to be as subtle as possible, he explained this to Gil. Thankfully, understood right away while Alice and Reim had no idea what he was talking about. Gil felt stupid for offering for the boy some of it after the explanation and was happy it was almost gone so he didn't have to suffer the awkwardness of eating it for long.

Soon they were up and walking again, looking for another ride to go on or for a fun carnival game to play. They came across a ladder game where people climbed up a rope ladder and if they could hit a button at its end won a prize. Alice wanted to try it out and talked Oz into giving it a go as well.

Alice went first to show him how it worked, easily climbing up the rope. Near the top she missed her footing and fell into the rope, causing her to lose her balance and flip over. She managed to hold on despite being upside down but ultimately fell onto the padding below when she couldn't flip herself back over. After her three tries were up she had almost managed to press the button, her fingers barely ghosting over it as she fell. Because she failed she urged Oz to beat it instead.

Oz doubted his ability to make it far seeing as how he was much weaker than she was physically. Nevertheless he climbed onto the rope ladder and attempted to scale it, going slowly to not fall. He moved up at a snail's pace compared to Alice but seemed to have an easier time staying balanced.

His balance only lasted so long and faltered when he failed to change his hold on the bars quick enough. He flipped over so he was hanging onto ladder, somehow managing to not fall off. Oz clung to the rungs of the ladder tightly, amazing his friends at his strength. Because it was near impossible to flip back over on the ladder Oz didn't attempt to, instead choosing to continue upside down. He probably would have let go and taken the loss if it weren't for the fact that he was slightly afraid of the fall to the padding.

That small amount of fear was enough to get him to the button and he was able to reach out and press it. Alice cheered for him, completely surprised he did it on the first try. Gil and Reim congratulated him on the accomplishment as well. The person running the game handed Oz a large stuffed cat before the group continued on their way.

Oz hadn't really wanted the stuffed animal though and gave it to Alice. She bear hugged him when he did, causing the adults to laugh. Gil was a little relieved Oz had given the cat up, mainly because he was afraid of cats. Its was just a stuffed animal but it still scared him a little.

The four began walking aimlessly through the street, discussing what they wanted to do next. Alice and Reim did most of the talking, offering a series of different rides and games they could do. Oz showed no preference towards any of the things they had said and stayed relatively quiet compared to earlier that day. Gil found this a bit odd, seeing as how moments ago the boy was chattering nonstop. He didn't say anything though, figuring what was causing his quietness fairly easily.

They'd been out for a while now and Oz was probably beginning to need to use the bathroom. Gil knew and understood he was not going to tell him when he had to go and figured he should bring him to the bathroom soon. He was going to tell Reim once they decided where they would be going next.

Gil felt a light tug on his shirt and looked down to see what had caused it, his eyes meeting with Oz's. The boy glanced away hesitantly before reconnecting with his guardian's, a hint of unease floating in his irises. "Gil?" He said in a quiet voice, trying to grab the man's attention without Alice or Reim hearing.

"Yeah?" Gil responded, leaning closer to Oz so he could hear him better over the noise of everyone around them.

Oz broke eye contact again, staring at a point over Gil's shoulder. He leaned over until his mouth was next to Gil's ear and worked up the courage to speak. In a voice so low Gil almost missed it Oz said, "I have to pee."

The blonde moved away and stared at the ground, waiting to see what Gil's response would be. For a moment Gil said nothing, trying to get over the shock that Oz had actually told him, and in the middle of a crowded street. A smile worked its way onto the man's face and he replied, "Okay." He ruffled the boy's hair in an act of praise that he'd come to use frequently.

Gil got Reim's attention and told him that he and Oz were going to disappear for a bit and arranged that they would meet up at a specific game before they left. Once they agreed on a game Gil led Oz a different way through the crowd towards the bathrooms.

As expected at any big event, the lines were long. The fact made Gil that much happier that Oz had spoken up; Oz would be a lot calmer since he hadn't waited until he was desperate to say anything. Because Oz wasn't anxious off the bat a simple conversation was able to keep him occupied while they waited.

The two discussed what their favorite rides had been and what they wanted to do later. Gil switched the topic randomly once each one ran dry, wanting to keep Oz's mind focused as long as he could. When he was occupied he couldn't obsess, a bad and nervous habit Gil noticed the boy had. Once he started obsessing he inevitably became more and more anxious no matter what Gil did and he didn't want that to happen.

Eventually, after they'd gotten in the actual bathroom, the noise of everyone talking became so loud Oz had trouble paying attention. It wasn't long until his concentration on Gil went out the window and he nervously looked around. There were so many people and he wasn't used to being around many people at a time.

Oz's bladder ached, causing him to call Gil's name again anxiously. Gil pulled him in for a short hug and ruffled his hair, telling him he was fine. He was proud of how long Oz had gone without getting scared. There was only one person in front of them so Oz wouldn't able to work himself up for very long.

The person in front of them moved into a stall and Gil gently pushed Oz towards the handicap stall. Oz gave him a questioning look but went inside, watching Gil as he followed and locked the door. It wasn't like they were breaking the social code that said you weren't supposed to use anything labeled handicap unless you were; Oz had PTSD, it was a legitimate handicap.

Gil told Oz to go, watching as he looked toward the door, then at Gil and back again. The man promised him nobody was going to bother him, managing to console the child's fear enough for him to begin to do as he was told. He walked over to the toilet and unzipped his pants, occasionally looking over his shoulder at his guardian. Gil covered the boy's ears so he couldn't hear clearly, hoping it would help him to ignore the other people. The unexpected contact caused Oz to jump slightly and stop what he was doing momentarily. He groaned and shifted his weight uncomfortably, having jostled his bladder when he jumped.

Gil apologized for startling him and urged him to go again, making sure to lift his hands so the boy could hear him. Before Oz obeyed he made Gil promise to not watch him. Gil promised, desperately trying to keep himself from smiling. He thought it was still cute how Oz asked for privacy as if it wasn't a given. The blonde was so serious about it. He knew it was because the boy was used to not having anything and was used to having to ask for the simplest things but found it amusing.

After Gil made his promise Oz seemed to stop worrying about him and ignored him like everyone else. He pulled himself out of his pants and aimed, looking back at Gil again nervously. The man was looking away like he said he would but it didn't calm the boy down much. He closed his eyes and tried to relax, reminding himself that he was with Gil and not his father.

He managed to calm down enough to start to pee. As soon as he heard the sound of running water he froze, huffing annoyedly at himself. He was faintly aware of Gil saying something in his ear but wasn't paying attention. He got himself to go again, managing to not freeze this time around. The whole time Gil kept his promise, staring at the floor or keeping his eyes closed.

When Oz finished he put himself away and Gil uncovered his ears. He flushed the toilet and washed his hands and soon enough they were on their way to where they were going to meet up with Reim and Alice. Gil gave Oz another hug and told him he was proud of him while they walked, causing him to smile.

The game they had chosen to meet up at was a simple ring toss game. Alice and Reim were taking turns throwing rings at the bottles, missing every time. Gil decided to join in and got some rings for him and Oz to throw. After a quick tutorial Oz was fairly good at throwing, getting close to landing several rings on a bottle.

The four played several different carnival games until it was starting to get darker outside. Gil was trying to stay out until it was dark to do some training with Oz and noticed he was becoming nervous around nine at night. It was fairly dark by then, and the park was ending. Oz handled it very well compared to his earlier experiences with the dark and was able to continue to have fun with Gil and Alice.

They finally drove home when the park ended. It didn't take long for Alice and Oz to pass out in the back, letting the two adults have some peace and quiet. They enjoyed the silence for the rest of the drive and pulled into Reim's driveway around ten. The two moved to the back to get the teens up, both smiling when they saw them leaning on each other for support.

Reim grabbed Alice and Gilbert grabbed Oz before they said their goodbyes for the night.

 **Done!**

 **I AM SO SORRY FOR HOW LONG THIS TOOK! I procrastinated for so long and I've been working on this other chapter and the bonus and I just haven't gotten around to this. But it's finally out, sorry if I didn't specific games enough I just don't have the experience for that.**

 **Also, I know that the next two chapters will be very slow. There will be two more chapters before this ends. No buts. Maybe extras earlier in the story but only two from here on. I have this thing are I hate seeing things end, so it'll be very hard for me to actually end this. I'll eventually do it, but I'll need encouragement and nagging!**

 **Anyway, I'll do my best to update as much as possible. See you guys soon!**


	34. Revelation

_**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **Hey everyone, welcome to the next chapter! Sorry for the wait.**

 **Special thanks to HolyCowOfDoom for nagging me to complete this chapter, if it wasn't for them this chapter wouldn't have come out until probably next month!**

 **Enjoy!**

The next morning Gil was working away at his office, tired after the day of fun he'd had the day before. He was also begrudging of the fact that he had to go back to work instead of being at home. Oz was still with him when he went to work so that didn't play into his thought process but it would be nice to relax at home.

If he was that reluctant to be at work, he could only imagine how Oz felt. The boy was sitting in his lap, half asleep. He was most likely still tired from yesterday considering how much walking he did and all the games he'd played. Gil honestly wouldn't be surprised if he slept the whole day away; he'd seen the child do it before.

That day was a fairly grim day to be working. Many of the files he was required to create and update involved murders, robberies, funerals and beatings. It dampened his mood to come back to work to so much violence.

He was happy Oz was mostly asleep; he didn't want him reading half of the things he was typing into the files on the computer. It was all something that he familiarized with more than Gil wished he did and he didn't want him to be reminded of any of his past experiences. Not after they'd worked so hard to help him past a lot of them. And certainly not after they learned Oz had PTSD.

Or after Zai's death.

The scene of the man lying on the cold, concrete floor, covered in gallons of his own blood had made an imprint in both of their minds, even though both had only experienced it for a few fleeting moments. Oz's recollection of it must have been foggy at best, considering he was close to death himself at the time. A man on the floor, more men standing around the room, another running towards him. However, Gil remembered it vividly, like it happened yesterday.

The contrast of the red blood to the ashen gray concrete and Zai's clothes. The sickening scent of iron and salt that flooded his nose. The vacant, dead expression lingering in the man's gaze, one that perfectly matched the look in the eyes of the child he had so mercilessly beaten. The boiling rage that had overcome him almost instantaneously.

He could never bring himself to forgive Zai for what he'd done to Oz. For what he still continued to do to him, even after he was dead. The man had left scar after scar on the child, so many of which were doomed to bear their ugly faces for the rest of his life. Those scars were so debilitating that they had developed into a disorder that sentenced the poor teen to a life of never ending anxiety. How could he forgive the man for hurting such a sweet child like that?

Oz shifted in Gil's lap, giving a soft, relaxed huff as he settled down into a more comfortable position. He looked to be completely asleep now, or at least on his way there his eyes were closed and his mouth was curled into a loose smile, lingering signs of his calm contentment. Gil glanced down at him and smiled, replacing the tense grimace that had creeped onto his face unnoticed. The man shook his head to himself; Oz was too sweet for his own good.

After Oz had pulled his thoughts away from Zai's death Gil kept his mind off the topic. Instead, he focused solely on his work. His mind soon entered a blank, calm state, void of thought. It was a state of mind he often lingered in when he worked; it kept him from thinking too much.

Before Oz came to live with him, any file he edited relating to children or violence reminded him of the boy. He thought about him so often that at first he felt he was going mad from the worry. Soon enough he luckily learned to block out the constant worrying and focus on other things. He didn't want to stop thinking about Oz, he just wanted to stop over thinking so much about his role in it.

Sometimes he'd wondered if he had ever seen signs that Zai was going over the deep end in his morals. If there was ever something he could have done to change the way things happened that day. The day Zai went crazy. The day he kidnapped Oz. The day he killed the boy's mother. The day Oz lost everything.

A sudden thought entered his mind; did Oz remember what had happened? He was only about four or five years old at the time, it wouldn't surprise him if Oz didn't remember. There were some indications that Oz remembered tidbits from that time in his life, such as the fact that he remembered Gil used to be his servant.

Gil shook his head again. He needed to stop thinking so much. He moved on to a new file; an old woman who had recently died from lung cancer. He began to edit the file to include the details of her death, making sure to leave nothing out.

" _A funeral shall be held on the first of August, 2010."_ Gil typed. He scrolled back to the top of the page, rereading everything to check for errors. After a moment he was satisfied with his work and moved on.

"Gil?" Oz whispered softly, his voice drowsy.

The man stopped typing for a moment to give the boy his attention. "Yes?" He asked, to show he was listening.

"You know how when people die they have funerals?" Oz asked, putting Gil off considerably. That was a question he hadn't expected the child to ask and he had no idea where it was leading.

Hesitantly, Gil replied, "Mhm?"

Oz took a relaxed, sleepy breath. "What about father? He died right? Does he still get a funeral?" He looked up at Gil curiously, patiently waiting for his guardian to respond.

Gil was utterly shocked by Oz's question. Why was he thinking about that? Why would he care? It was with great interest that he noted how calmly Oz had said his words. The relaxed, half-asleep tone he spoke with seemed to lighten the gravity of the question. It made it seem as if they were discussing why the sky was blue or why the word bed looked like a bed, not something as dark as someone's funeral.

To be honest, however, he didn't have an answer to Oz's question. Zai was killed by a fatal gunshot wound to the head; one would imagine that the police would not look into the matter further. However, Gil knew from years of working at Pandora that the police always checked for other causes of death, especially in violence related crime cases.

"I'm not sure." Gil replied. "The police are in charge of him at the moment. I suppose they'll choose what to do with him." The man kept his eyes on the screen on his computer, avoiding the gaze of the child in his lap. He was not sure if he wanted to see the expression in his eyes.

"Why are the police in charge of him?" Oz asked, sounding more like an inquisitive five year old who was constantly asking even the most pointless questions because they understood nothing than a fifteen year old teenager.

"They like to know why people die. And when they know why, they like to double check."

Gil felt Oz nod against his chest. He seemed satisfied with the man's answer and appeared to go back to dozing seconds later. Gil watched him for several minutes before going back to work.

What had that been about?

.o.O.o.

Just like Gil had predicted, Oz slept through most of the day. He seemed to finish napping on the ride back home, compelled to join the land of the living by his hunger. Gil cooked dinner as soon as they got home and they ate fairly quickly.

It wasn't long before the sun began to sink below the horizon, the moon slowly beginning to rise in the sky. Gil and Oz relaxed on the couch for the remainder of the evening, watching movies. They decided to go to bed once the moon settled high in the sky, illuminating the windows with a soft and light glow. The two stood and stretched, ready to sleep. Gil started towards the stairs, Oz following behind.

Suddenly, the phone rang. Gil stopped and looked over to the landline, a simple black phone perched on the wall between the closet and kitchen. He walked over to the phone and picked it up.

"Hello?" Gilbert answered.

Oz sat down on the couch again and watched Gil as he listened to the person on the other end of the phone. At first Gil said nothing, simply listening and making small noises indicating he was paying attention. Soon his expression became more tense, as if he was thinking his way through a challenging math equation. The man's eyes flashed wide for a split second, not fast enough to slip past Oz.

Gil looked over to Oz then away. He shifted his weight for a moment, seeming to be thinking. Eventually he muttered one last 'yeah' to the person on the other end of the phone and pulled the phone away from his ear. However, instead of hanging it on the wall again like the boy expected, Gil waved him over. Oz obediently walked over to Gil, being handed the phone, to his surprise.

Gil moved to the side to allow Oz some space, trying to think through what the man on the line had just told him. As he watched Oz be told what he had been told he heard the words of the man replaying in his mind like a broken record.

" _I am Dr. Wyzer, the forensic pathologist that performed an autopsy on Zai Vessalius. During the autopsy, I noticed multiple lumped masses covering the brain. After a few tests were run I concluded that Mr. Vessalius was suffering from grade two brain cancer before he died."_

Oz's expression didn't change despite what the man on the phone was saying. After a minute Oz asked, "What's that?" Under different circumstances, Gil would have smiled. Of course Oz wouldn't know what brain cancer was.

" _Cancer is what happens when a person's body malfunctions and parts of it begin to grow so fast that it kills the person. In 's case, the overgrowth of his brain impaired his ability to perceive the world as we do._

" _Because his case had gone untreated for so long, it unfortunately began to slowly deteriorate the areas of the brain essential to life. Judging by the state of the brain, I can assume that most of the damage began to occur around nine years ago."_

Around nine years ago.

 **Done!**

 **I just blew so many minds. I bet a cookie no one guessed Zai had cancer. If you guys are shocked now, I can't wait until next chapter. :)**

 **Again, huge thanks to HolyCowOfDoom, I wrote this the night after I saw her review nagging me to continue and finished it in one night! Thank you for t nagging and please continue! The next chapter will not take as long as I thought originally and will be longer, since I thought of something I wanted to add while writing this chapter.**

 **Until next time!**

 _ **UPDATE:**_

 _ **hey everyone, I am so sorry how long I am taking to finish the next chapter! I am having trouble being able to get online to finish writing, and I will probably have to wait until after Christmas when I get a new tablet to finish :( I am really sorry for the wait but I will try to get the next chapter up asap. I will also be putting up half the chapter before I finish the whole thing so that way you guys have something to read while im finishing. im sorry for any problems this causes.**_


	35. End

_**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING**_

 **HEY EVERYONE! THE END IS FINALLY HERE! I AM SO SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT!**

 **My new devices aren't very good with uploading new documents to fan fiction. Sorry. Had to figure out a new system.**

 **I cannot express how happy I am that for the first time ever I have finished a long fanfiction, and in such a short amount of time for how long it is. Thank you to everyone who has given me support over the past few months with writing this!**

 **Real quick, sorry for any confusion with the whole brain cancer thing. Grade two spreads slowly and takes years to kill someone. It also messes with parts of the brain involving reasoning, emotion and reality.**

 **Without further adieu, ENJOY!**

 **(ps, Gil is 12)**

 _.o.O.o._

 _It was a cool morning, the beginnings of the fall that was growing closer every day. A cool breeze drifted through the open window of the bedroom, chasing away the warmth the heater had created. The boy dosing in the room's only bed cuddled further into the covers, enjoying the warmth they brought._

 _He rolled over and sighed, not entirely ready to begin the day. He knew he would have to get up soon, however. Today was the big day, today was his master's birthday. Today the child turned five years old._

 _Gil heard the door to his bedroom creak open and rolled his eyes. Playing dumb, he rolled over again, facing away from the door. He heard a soft pattering slink closer to his bed, pausing at the head. Gil smiled to himself, waiting for the right moment._

One.

Two.

Three.

 _Gil suddenly threw the covers off of himself and turned towards the side of the bed the pattering had crept up to, playfully yelling as a young blond child jumped up at him. Gil caught the boy in his arms and jumped to the floor, spinning him around several times, eliciting a shocked yet joyous squeal from the child._

" _Trying to sneak up on me again?" Gil asked the boy, still smiling widely. He hoisted him onto his hip to support him better, wrapping his arms around his body._

 _The boy giggled and beamed at the older, nodding enthusiastically. He wasn't even upset his attempt to catch his servant off guard had failed. "Morning!" He cheered happily, throwing his arms up._

 _Gil ruffled the boy's hair. "And happy birthday Oz." He said, causing the boy to giggle excitedly again._

" _Yep! And, and! Guess how old I am?" The blond demanded, still smiling widely in excitement._

 _Gil put one hand to his chin, mocking a hard, calculative look. "Well, let's see….last year you were four so that would make you…"_

" _Five!" Oz exclaimed as if it was a long awaited accomplishment._

" _Yes, that's right." Gil replied, praising the boy for his master math skills._

" _Let's go wake up Mama!" Oz cried, trying to wiggle out of his servant's arms._

 _The older of the two rolled his eyes playfully and set the younger down on the floor, watching him run out of the room and down the hall. He followed behind him at a much slower and more relaxed pace. He turned the corner and walked up to the bedroom door of his masters, seeing the door left widely ajar._

 _As he neared he could hear Oz trying to wake his mother up. He grunted several times-most likely from the effort of shaking his mother's body in hopes of rousing her-and called his mother's name loudly. Gil heard a tired yet playful groan, silencing the child._

" _Must you rise so early?" Oz's mother wondered, smiling kindly at the boy and kissing his forehead. "The rest of us would like to sleep." She pointed out, a smile lingering on her face._

 _Oz jumped up and down excitedly. "But it's my birthday! Sleep tomorrow!" He countered, causing both his mother and Gil to laugh. His demands were so innocent and endearing._

 _Oz's mother climbed out of bed, picking up the boy and setting him on her hip much like Gil had done. "Alright, I'm up." She promised. "Let's go get something to eat." She walked out of the room and down the hall towards the large kitchen in the house._

 _Gil trailed behind her closely, already knowing the drill about breakfast. Whenever Oz's mother was up before the cook or before he had begun to make breakfast she would do it herself. Afterwards the cook would work up a fuss, reminding her every time that it was his job to make the food and that she shouldn't have to._

" _Can't I help out a little?" She would always respond with a smile on her face._

 _And that was exactly what happened. Just like always._

 _Oz sat on a nearby counter while his mother cooked. "Mommy?" He said, grabbing his mother's attention before he continued to work talk. "When is Daddy coming home?" He wondered._

 _He didn't receive an answer right away. His mother took a few moments to respond, as if she was deep in thought. "Tonight. He should be coming home tonight before your bedtime." She said, her voice carry a hint of sadness._

 _Oz nodded and gave a small smile. His father hadn't been home in a few months and he missed him. Although, his father was also very...mean. Especially to his mother. There wasn't a day that his parents were together where they didn't fight over something._

 _They were quiet until the food was done cooking. After breakfast Oz's mother determined that they would do anything Oz wanted to. It was his birthday after all. Oz didn't want to do anything that would be expected of someone his age, however. He tended to want to play games that required thinking, like cards or checkers. He didn't play just to play either, he fully understood and played by the rules._

 _All day, they played games. The day sped by until it began to grow dark outside the windows of the house, signifying that the day was coming to an end._

 _Around Oz's usual bedtime, his mother said, "I think it's time we go to bed." She began putting away some of the many games they had played throughout the day, earning a frown from her son._

" _But I don't want to." Oz whined, pouting sadly._

 _His mother smiled. "Then how about this?" She began, moving over to the child and picking him up. "Why don't you come to your dad and I's room and I'll read you a story?"_

 _Oz beamed excitedly. "Yeah!" He agreed enthusiastically._

" _Okay then." Turning to Gil-who was sitting down on the nearby couch-she said, "Gilbert would you be a dear and help him change into some pajamas?" She set the boy down and watched him go to his servant._

 _Gil nodded and took his master's hand in his own. "Of course." He led the boy to his room and helped him to change into a pair of pajamas covered in bunnies. Oz chatted happily with him while he changed, trying to decide what he wanted his mother to read to him._

 _Eventually, he decided a grab a small, modest book from his bookshelf; "Hop on Pop." It was a Dr. Seuss book about two children who wanted to play with their father, who just wanted to sleep. Over time this book in particular had grown to be his favorite. His father always seemed really tired lately and he felt like one of the jumping kids in the book._

 _Ready to go to his mother's room, Oz held his servants hand again and skipped down the hall. Oz's smile grew larger as they neared his parent's room, happily awaiting the story he was going to be read._

 _Oz pushed open the door to his parent's room, holding the book closely to his chest with one arm. "Mommy! Look at what story I pic-"_

 _He stopped dead in his tracks, his voice silencing instantly. His eyes grew wide in shock and confusion._

Red.

 _There was red everywhere. It was on the walls, on the floor, on the bed, and on his parents. His mother lay quietly on the bed, her thin body limp and pale. Oz looked up slightly to see his father towering over her holding a large and bloody knife._

 _Zai turned to look at the boy in the doorway. Most of his face was masked in coagulating blood; blood that was pouring down from a large diagonal cut on his face. Under the thick layer of blood Oz could see the fierce white glare of his eyes. The anger in them was an anger the boy had never encountered before, it even went above the anger his father had when he fought with his mother._

 _Oz looked away from his father, an odd dread settling in the pit of his stomach. He instead rested his eyes on his mother, waiting for her chest to gently move up and down; a motion that had come to give him comfort when he was scared. But she wasn't moving; her chest remained still._

 _What was wrong? Why wasn't she moving?_

 _Oz glanced up at Gil, hoping that his confusion could be explained by the older. But Gil looked just as scared and lost as he was. He had frozen like a statue, not even blinking, too afraid to miss the fraction of a second of his sight it required. He stared at Zai with a look of absolute horror._

 _Oz began to feel frustrating rising in him. What was it that everyone else understood that he wasn't getting?! He called out to his mother once again, "Mommy?"_

 _No response._

 _He began to walk forward, wanting to go to her. She must not have heard him. But Gil's hand-which was still tightly wrapped around his-held him back. Oz snapped his head back to Gil, his frustration rising higher. He yanked his hand away from Gil's, surprised at how fast his servant's grip loosened._

 _Oz turned back to his mother. He walked over to her and attempted to climb onto the bed, the looming presence of his father's gaze weighing on his back. His hand touched some of the blood on the sheets; it was warm._

 _Oz managed to get on the bed and was able to see his mother's face. Her face had frozen in an expression of pained horror, her eyes still open and unblinking. Oz's brow furrowed deeply. He didn't understand anything that was happening. He reached out a hand to touch his mother's chest, noticing the absence of a heart beat._

 _A hand suddenly jerked him from the bed by the collar. Some of his hair got caught in the hand's fingers, causing it to be pulled painfully. Oz cried out and tried to wriggle out of the grip holding him, finding that he couldn't._

" _Get away from her!" His father roared fiercely, ignoring his son's wriggling. He held the child several feet above the ground and glared at him angrily, his eyes not truly seeing what was before him._

" _Oz!" Gil cried, rushing forward to protect his master. He took the opportunity to kick Zai in the balls while he was distracted, causing the man to drop Oz. Gil reached out and caught him before he cracked his head, never taking his eyes off of Zai. He quickly put Oz down and pushed him towards the door, being a little rougher than he had meant to. "Run!" He yelled, daring to take his eyes away from Zai for a fraction of a second to watch Oz as he obeyed his friend's cry._

 _But that fraction of a second had been one too many. Before Gil could move out of the way Zai had grabbed his ankle and pulled him to the ground, causing a loud thump. Oz stopped at the sound and looked back to see what had caused it._

" _Hey!" Oz yelled, running back towards Gil to protect him. Gil looked up at the boy, his eyes swimming with terror._

" _Oz!" He screamed. "What are you doing?! Run!"_

 _Oz didn't listen to him. He grabbed his hand and tried to pull him away from his father, failing miserably. When that didn't work Oz tried pushing his father away from friend. This worked, but the free hand instead grabbed his arm, squeezing to the point of pain._

 _The boy yelped, fear washing over him as he desperately pulled away from his father, unable to get away._

 _Gil scrambled to his feet once he was free, instinctively running for the door. When he was far enough away from Zai where he couldn't be grabbed again he turned back and hesitated; did he run and protect himself or try to free Oz again?_

 _After a split second of decision he ran. It never occurred to him to get help; he couldn't think straight after what had just happened._

 _And that was the last time he thought he would ever see Oz._

 _He would never forgive himself for making that choice._

.o.O.o.

Gil flipped up the collar of Oz's white dress shirt, wrapping a black tie around the back of the child's neck before tieing it. He then flipped the collar back down to conceal the part of the tie circumferencing his neck and adjusted the tie so it was straight. The man flicked his head to the side, tossing his loose bangs out of his eyes.

Straightening up, Gil asked, "Is that too tight?" He looked the boy up and down, admiring his plain black suit. There was a small frost blue flower pinned on the left side of his jacket to add a small taste of color. His dress shoes were a polished and shining black to match the rest of the outfit.

The boy's hair was styled to be less fluffy and free than it usually was. Some gel weighted it down and pulled it back into a style fit for an earl. Its golden color greatly contrasted the rest of the boy's outfit as did his beautiful emerald eyes. However, both seemed to be dulled by the mourning his attire represented.

Oz lifted a hand to his neck and toyed with the knot of the tie of a second before nodding in approval. "It feels fine." He replied, his voice low and soft. Even though he had never been to a funeral he understood the impact one caused. He knew that today was a day to be quiet and give remembrance to the dead. He looked up at his guardian with eyes as soft as his voice, patiently waiting to leave.

Gil nodded back in acknowledgement. He looked down at himself, checking that his own suit was in order. His hair was also slicked back in a similar fashion with the exception of the small ponytail containing the majority of his hair. The only difference between their appearances was the pin on Gil's chest, which was a silver dove and not a flower.

Satisfied with his work, Gil walked over to the door and grabbed his dress coat. Today was an especially cold day, even for the ever deepening fall. They would need a coat to stay warm in the crisp autumn breeze. Gil zipped and buttoned his coat before grabbing Oz's as well. He walked back to Oz and helped him slide the coat on.

Every one of Gilbert's movements was slow; there was no need to rush. Oz was aware of this as well and allowed his guardian to zip and button his coat for him. Moving at any pace faster than a relaxed crawl felt wrong.

Once Gil finished with Oz's coat he strode, heels clicking, back over to the front door to grab his keys and hat. He also grabbed the bouquet of yellow flowers they had gotten. Oz followed this time wordlessly and walked behind Gil to the car. He got in the passenger side and buckled his seatbelt, the soft click of the metal sliding into place seeming to echo in the silence. Seconds later another click resounded throughout the car as Gil got in a buckled his own belt.

Gil turned the car on and mentally checked that they had everything again. He handed Oz the flowers to hold while he drove, checking that he had his wallet and house keys. Even though he knew Oz didn't like the question, he asked, "Do you need to pee?" He kept his tone just as low as Oz had as he spoke, his voice barely audible to either of them.

Oz sighed gently, shook his head and replied with a soft, "No." Most days that question would cause him to fret and blush madly; today he paid it little to no mind. His expression remained calm and he leaned into the car door.

Neither him nor Gil had spoken much that morning. They only spoke when necessary and kept their words short and to the point. Neither wanted to talk and even if they did there wasn't much to say. There were few topics that could be brought up in the thick silence that had fallen over them.

Oz rested his arm on the car door and leaned his head into the cold window, watching the scenery float by as the car began to move. He blinked slowly and sighed, the sound barely breaking the silence.

Everything seemed to slow down, though Oz wanted the day to speed by. He felt like there were butterflies in his stomach. He dreaded seeing his father again but at the same time was expectant. The last time he had seen his father they were on bad terms, to say the least. But now he knew the reason behind his father's awful behavior; he felt that somehow this encounter would be different than the others before.

It wasn't because Zai was gone now, or because Oz knew that the man could no longer hurt him. Knowing that his father's actions had not truly been of his own accord made him less hateful, less scared of him. It gave him this odd comfort to know that his real father, the man who had loved him before _that day_ , was still somewhere inside.

But he felt stupid to think that. His father was his father, sick or healthy, crazy or sane.

Dead or alive.

Oz closed his eyes and frowned lightly. He should stop trying to think about it; the only thing he was going to succeed in doing was working himself up. He could feel the fear rising in the pit of his stomach the longer he thought about seeing his father again. He would leave the matter alone until they got to the church.

The church was a large building made of white bricks that seemed to slouch with old age. It stood three stories high with a characteristic point in the roof above where the chapel should be. Few decorations graced its newly painted walls, giving it a plain and modest look.

They pulled into the vast parking lot of the church. There were hardly any cars in the lot when they arrived, each lined in a neat row directly next to the church's wall.

Gil parked near the rest of the cars and turned the car off. He got out and helped Oz out as well before they began to walk towards the church's large double doors. Someone was waiting at the doors and opened one of them to allow the two inside.

The inside of the church looked similar to the outside. Plain walls. Sparse decorations. Simple flooring. There were hardly any doors inside and the hallways were broad and few, making it nearly impossible to get lost.

Within a few minutes they found the chapel. They stood near the door for several moments, not going inside quite yet. Gil leaned into one of the walls and breathed a sigh, looking over at Oz with concern.

"Are you okay?" He asked. He wanted Oz to be as calm as possible before he let him see his father again.

Oz glanced down at the floor for a moment while he thought before looking up again. "Yeah." He responded, offering a smile to prove his point. To his dismay, Gil saw through him.

"No, you're not." Gil said. Oz often hid behind a smile when he was distressed. The smile he offered had been a bit too wide and its edges turned down ever so slightly. "Are you nervous?" He asked.

Oz sighed, the smile fading. "I guess." He couldn't quite describe why he felt stressed. He knew that part of it was him fueling his own anxiety, and another was he was going to see the man that had made his life a living hell for so many years. However, he felt this odd longing that grew stronger as they drove to the church. He felt like he might cry; but not from fear.

Gil stood up straight and pulled Oz into a hug, being careful not to mess up his clothes or hair. "Relax." After a moment he added, "I'm here." _And I won't be going anywhere._

Oz smiled, this time for real, and returned the hug. "I know."

Gil pulled away and quickly checked them both over. After making sure Oz was calm as well he moved to the door of the chapel, opening it to allow Oz to go through. Oz looked inside with a slight look of apprehension, then after a moment's hesitation stepped inside.

Gil followed him to the middle of the room where there was a wooden casket on a pedestal, its lid off. It was simple yet elegant.

Inside the casket lay Oz's father, dressed in a simple black tuxedo. Out of sheer reflex Oz jumped away when he saw the man's face, quickly regaining control of himself and consoling Gil's worried glance.

The only other people there were those that had brought the casket and a few of Zai's old coworkers and friends that had heard of his death. None of them knew about his past or what happened to him and his only son.

Zai looked relaxed as he lay in the coffin, much calmer than he did while he was alive. Oz could even dare to think he looked peaceful. He looked far less threatening than Oz remembered now that his ever present scowl was gone.

The boy glanced down at the golden flowers he was holding. They were for his father. He saw the other few people who were in the room glance over at the odd color of them several times. Gold was not a very befitting color for a funeral; it was too happy a color.

There was a reason why he had picked gold ones, though. He faintly remembered that his father had loved the color yellow, and the gold color of his hair. He said it was the color of happiness. He said that he was his happy little boy.

He was supposed to lay them on his father's chest. It scared him to think of touching him; the irrational part of his mind was convinced he would reach out and grab him. But he knew that couldn't happen. Oz took a step forward and then another. He hesitated, then walked to the edge of the casket and peered inside. When it seemed safe he reached in and placed the flowers on his father's chest, gently taking the man's hands and folding them on top of the stems.

As soon as his skin made contact with Zai's he felt a sudden and intense urge to get the hell away. He resisted it though and managed to neatly fold his father's hands. He pulled away and breathed, realizing that he was shaking.

Following that realization he also realized that Gil wasn't right by his side, ready to calm him down. He looked over at his guardian, seeing the same worried look in his eyes as before, though he stayed a few feet away. It looked like it hurt him but he was letting Oz figure the situation out on his own.

Oz looked away from him, his gaze finding its way back to his father. He had stopped shaking but was still scared to be so close to him. However, he could feel a calm trying to come over him at the same time. The longer he stayed next to his father the more the calm took over, slowly chasing the fear away.

His father was harmless.

His father was gone. Only his physical body remained, lifeless and pale.

Oz laid his arms on the side of the casket close to Zai' head and rested his head on them, gazing at his father's face. The longing that had been growing in him completely faded. He felt at ease in his father's presence, something he hadn't experienced in a decade.

But he also felt sad. He was faintly aware that this was the last time he would ever see Zai and the thought depressed him. He had done what he came to do but he didn't really want to leave. He knew Gil would let him stay for awhile but not forever.

Knowing he had to say goodbye made him want to cry. He didn't understand why though. He told himself to shut up and stop thinking. He didn't want to cry today. If he had to say goodbye, he wanted to face his father for once without tears pouring down his face.

He stood there for quite a few minutes, just looking at his father. At some point tears did start to leak out of his eyes, quiet and slowly. He knew Zai was the only one that could see them.

 _Te amo, papá._

 _(_ **Te amo means I love you for those who don't speak Spanish)**

 **DOOOONNNNNNEEEEEEEEEE! How did you guys like it?**

 **Before I rant about this once again I am so sorry for the long wait. I couldn't find time and then I got my new tablet but couldn't get docs to work so it took my awhile to be able to start writing again.**

 **But anyway, I have a big question for everyone: please answer with a review or pm. At the end, Oz decides to forgive his father for the pain he's caused him. If you were in Oz's place, would you forgive him? Why or why not?**

 **Also, I used papá instead of something else because as I have mentioned in other chapters Oz and Zai are bilingual. Oz doesn't speak it much (mostly because he associates it with Zai) but he spoke it often during those nine years he was with his father. So, when he says that he's not only forgiving the man who Zai was before he got sick, he's forgiving the man that hurt him for his own enjoyment.**

 **Bonus chapter is on it's way, but will probably take awhile. I have something else I really wanna do with it but I'm probably not going to because I won't follow through with it. If anyone wants any more moments I'm not already doing for the bonus let me know. I've got about seven ideas right now.**

 **Until next time!**


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